Unexpected Allies
by HelenPotter91
Summary: What if there was someone who stood up for Hermione at Malfoy Manor? What if there was allies in the most unexpected of places? Would the outcome of the war be different? Would long lost secrets be revealed? CISSAMIONE possible DRARRY not sure yet. Please Review
1. Chapter One

Hey everyone! I know I have only started posting my Fourth Instalment Of my Harry Potter Version but I am changing my phone and need to transfer all of my notes and came across this little gem of a story.

I have about ten chapters written and have actively started writing more and more and feeling strangely inspired. It might help me break out of my funk with my Fifth Instalment which I am currently writing.

This is a Post/War fic and will be a Narcissa/Hermione Pairing and for those of you that have read my stories Narcissa Malfoy is probably my favourite character.

If you like this pairing make sure and read a story called PERHAPS by NARALANIS, A TIME WE CAN NEVER BE by snowingstone and EXTINCTION by rubikanon.

All of these were such inspiration for this story, please let me know what you think. I am sorry if FanFiction has changed the format of my story but it was sitting perfectly on my notes. However since I am using my phone to upload instead of my laptop, it automatically changes it sometimes and makes it weird.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think, I love reviews!

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DISCLAIMER-UNFORTUNATELY I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER BUT I AM FOREVER INDEBTED TO JKR FOR CREATING THIS WONDERFUL WORLD.

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Chapter One

WARNING-Torture and Mentions Of Spousal Abuse

Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire

Stupid! All three of us were so stupid! The reason we were here was our own fault, we should have checked our surroundings better. This whole time we were so cautious and the one time we drop our guard the shit hits the fan. Who would have thought we would have ended up here? Malfoy Manor Of all places.

When we saw Bellatrix Lestrange at the gate I had to admit, I thought we were dead there and then but apparently we weren't going to be that lucky. I was fine whilst the boys were with me but once they moved out of sight and left me to the mercy of Bellatrix I felt everything shift.

I could feel it, the blade carving into my arm and Bellatrixs breath on my cheek, she was insane, all wild hair and psychotic eyes. From my left side however I saw it, small tears in Dracos eyes, watching me with so much dispair. This was the boy who called me a Mudblood, the boy who spent a year trying to kill Albus Dumbledore. Now in front of me he was a shell of the haughty boy that roamed the corridors of Hogwarts.

His eyes bored into mine and was forced to look away as I was hit with another CRUCIO. Unlike Draco his mother standing although cold and seemingly unfeeling was actually holding my eyes and watching me, it was giving me the strength I needed, it shocked me but she stepped forward in her perfect Trophy wife self and lifted her wand from what I assumed was a holster.

"Bella that's enough! The girl clearly doesn't know anything and your dripping blood onto my hardwood floor!" It seemed aristocratic and selfish, seemingly only caring for her decor and not the fact that I am being hacked into like Hamburger meat.

I would have put it down to that but the way in which she looked at me and the way she held onto Dracos arm had similar care. She was a mother, her eyes betrayed her, it was the same look my own mother had every time I fell or hurt myself.

Bellatrix snapped her head up at her sister in that moment and Lucius Malfoy looked between the two sisters before landing his glare on his wife, he was truly a disgusting man and I could not help but notice how far the mighty had fallen. He looked so unkempt in that moment although the usual Malfoy sneer was firmly in place.

"Narcissa! Don't be unruly, let Bella have her fun, unless you want to take her place!" I was lost in a haze of pain but their conversation confused me. They were supposed to be a family, an untouchable unit but the hatred and anger in the youngest Black sister in that moment frightened even me.

"What dear husband, are you going to torture me? In front of our son no doubt! If I could I would kill you in your sleep I would but that damn marriage contract forbids it! I have been your victim for too long! No more! Let the girl go Bella!" Her sister smiled at her and nodded her head seemingly too easy.

"Ok, fine! You always were too much of a bleeding heart Cissy!" Before I knew what was happening Lucius turned a wand to her and everything I thought I knew was turned on its head.

"CRUCIO!" The aristocratic woman who just saved my life and was walking toward me dropped to the floor with a scream, Lucius Malfoy had his own wife under the cruciatus curse for defending me.

"Father! STOP!" Draco ran to his mother as she fell in a heap beside me, I was forgotten about. Except I wasn't, a small vial of something came from her hand that sat beside my own and handed it to me.

Was it poison? Probably not, it looked like pepper up. Without thinking I uncorked it and looked into her eyes. The brightest blue reached my own and a small smile directed at me, I knocked it back in one go and Lucius got trigger happy again. This time with Draco.

"Lucius stop! She may be an idiotic blood traitor but she is my sister and he is my nephew! Blacks don't hurt each other for no one!" He didn't listen, I could see the maniacal look on his face and he cursed his wife and son as if they meant nothing to him.

"I SAID STOP!" Bellatrix threw him on his ass and dropped the knife in favour of her wand when I heard Harry and Ron, everything happened all at once, Harry grabbed me out of the way, Ron surprisingly grabbed the ferret and his mother from the floor as a large chandelier fell in the middle of the room.

My wand and bag was shoved into my hands as Dobby the elf apparated us away from the Manor. I fell to my knees and coughed, my lungs were on fire and I felt like every nerve in my body was raw and exposed to the elements.

Harry was beside me, Ron was lying beside a heap of blonde hair and then I only realised the two Malfoys that helped me were saved too, Draco was trying to grapple to his feet and help Ron when a scream echoed over the crashing of waves.

"Hermione, I need help!" I turned to see Harry and a screaming Narcissa who had a knife embedded in her side. I didn't even realise when that happened, I was that out of it, she was swearing like a sailor and it made me smile slightly and the usually unruffled witch so unkempt.

"Holy Shit! Fuck! Someone please pull this bloody thing out of me!" The same knife that was carving into my arm not too minutes ago was now sitting in her stomach with blood pouring out of the wound onto sand below her. Luna, Ollivander and Griphook were standing staring at us in shock before Draco who was much more alert than I was came running over to his mother.

"Mother! Merlin some potty mouth your teaching me, I don't think I have ever heard you swear. Come on your ok, I got you." In the grand scheme of things he lifted her spirits by making fun as he also lifted her into his arms as if she weighed nothing. It was there and then I saw a different side to Draco Malfoy, he loved his mother more than anything else.

"I am assuming you brought us here for a reason Weasley? She needs help." Ron directed him towards a large cottage and he kept walking, almost running past us all to where I saw surprisingly Fleur and Bill Weasley come running, Draco stopped and turned to Ron in that moment and looked at him with so much emotion.

"Thank you, she wouldn't survive in that house much longer so thank you!" Ron just nodded reluctantly and we all made our way to the house with Dobby holding onto Harry's hand talking a mile a minute about what just happened.

"Nearly hit Dobby did scary knife! Old mistress saved Dobby by pushing Dobby out of way! Mistress took Dobbys place with bad knife and was hurt!" He was almost in tears now at this point as we got closer to the house. One thing was for sure, any past misdeeds done by Lucius was instantly forgiven when Narcissa tried to save him. That little elf will never forget what she did for him and not will I to be honest.

It seemed we had two more allies, would I call them allies? Things were not as it seemed that was true, Narcissa Malfoy saved a house elf and a Mudblood, Draco Malfoy thanking A Weasley Without his usually sneer. Things were getting weird, well weirder than usual.

Once we all made it too the cottage it was then I noticed my surroundings, we were at the seaside, I was soaking covered in sand and water. Fleur directed Draco to a kitchen table and cleared it to set Narcissa Malfoy onto it, with her hands she began pressing into the wound and the woman in question glared at her.

"Agh! Bloody hell Veela not such a gentle fairy princess after all are you?" In seconds the knife was pulled out, two Potions were forced down her throat and small drops of Phoenix tears and Dittany was placed on the wound, all of which had no bedside manner and it seemed Fleur could give as good as she took.

The wound in her side closed instantly and soon the woman passed out, probably due to shock and pain whilst Fleur was cleaning up. Bill had his wand trained on Draco who held his hands up and handed over his own wand to the eldest Weasley in a sign of good faith.

"Why are they here?" Fleur was in healing mode as she handed us all pepper up Potions, pain relieving Potions and poured us a bowl of stew.

"They are under our protection, Narcissa saved me, it all happened very fast!" We were directed to a bathroom and allowed to clean up. Luna and I went to shower and change, neither one of us bothered about propriety or privacy and just wanted to rinse the grime off of us.

Once we were in clean clothes the boys took a turn each whilst I came downstairs. Draco sat covered in blood holding onto his mothers hand, he barely looked up so I took a seat on the other side.

"Granger." He nodded to me and it was then I seen a son worried about his mother. There was a few cuts and bruises on his body and he was clutching his left arm where I know his mark was.

"Does it hurt?" I indicated to his arm and he flinched at my lack of tact and nodded before letting out a sigh followed by a hiss.

"He is trying to summon me, he can't track me apparently because of the wards of this house and the Veela said she and Weasley could possibly break the bond between him and me. The mark might still be there, they're not sure what will happen but it won't hurt when he calls for me." He let out a hiss and held onto it, half an hour later and Mrs Malfoy started to stir, Draco jumped up immediately.

"Mother! Hey I'm here, it's ok." She slowly opened her eyes at him and smiled before pulling herself up slowly for a hug and he held onto her for grim death. A minute passed when she looked to me in surprise and Harry took that moment to come in with Bill and Ron.

"Fleur is tending to Mr Ollivander, she says someone had already healed the majority of his wounds, he says it was you." Eyes flitted to the Malfoy Matriarch and her gaze never wavered under the scrutiny of everyone's eyes, surprising Draco looked furious.

"Mother, if anyone found out you would have been killed! Father would have killed you himself." She looked at her son and nodded her head before holding onto his hand and going to stand up and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Probably, but if I hadn't so would Mr Ollivander, he is a staple in our world Draco, it would be a sad place for children if Mr Ollivander could not sell his wands when they needed them. When the war is over they will need him a hell of a lot more than they need me, someone proficient in Wandlore is exceedingly rare." This woman was more Gryffindor that all of us, Fleur asked Draco to sit so she could look at his mark with Bill.

"Why did you save me? After all I am the enemy, if the roles were reversed I am not too sure if I would have done the same." Her gaze turned to Ron who blushed under the scrutiny of her gaze and he just shrugged at her in that Ron mannerism.

"You stopped Bellatrix from torturing Hermione, you were being tortured by your husband and I would have assumed Ferret would have been hurt or killed just to get to you so, take you both from that situation and we might gain an upper hand in the death eaters camp." It was a surprise than Ron could get over his hatred of all things Malfoy long enough to be rational and strategic.

"Whatever the reason, Thank you. The house of Black and Malfoy owes you a life debt." Apparently so did the House of Granger. We all sat down at the table and in the strangest collection of people ever a plan was formed. Whether or not it would go according to plan was another thing all together.

It took two days but Fleur and Bill managed to crack the tattoo and decided to cleanse Draco that night. They were missing a few ingredients and cleared their throat at me, Bill was blushing and Fleur was smirking.

"So what do you need? We can go and get it." They handed me a list and ingredients and almost all of it was scratched out except, the hair of a virgin and the blood of a Witch born of Non Magical or Squib blood. I lifted my arm to the table and told them to knock themselves out with the blood.

"What about the hair?" I smirked at Ron who looked embarrassed for even asking me that question. I loved both of the boys but some things I needed a girl to talk to and over the years I was so grateful for Ginny and Luna, that only went so far though.

"Can't help you there." All of them gaped at me except for Narcissa and Fleur, I couldn't help but smirk at them all whilst Draco found it hilarious and was openly laughing at both Harry and Rons expressions.

"Wow Granger! Always the quiet ones?" He smiled at me before glancing round the room and landing back on Ron who shook his head and Narcissa walked straight up to Harry and pulled a small chuck of hair from the back of his head. It was reminiscent of the night we all left Godrics Hollow as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oww! What the hell?" Everyone laughed as he blushed but she just handed the hair to Fleur who also giggled at Harrys expense.

"Oh please you can practically smell it on you." Fleur sat Draco down and mixed my blood with Harrys hair along with everything else and it made a sort of Poultice. He started wincing as Fleur and Bill stuck it over the mark and waved their wands reciting something in some sort of language.

They then turned to Harry and asked him to say a passage in Parseltongue, two minutes had passed and it was letting off smoke as if his skin was burning and it looked like it was, pale skin was bubbling to the surface pushing the black mark away and finally they stopped chanting and Fleur pulled a wet cloth over to her and rubbed the wet cloth over his arm and it was gone.

"Merlins saggy ball sack!" Narcissa slapped her son and reprimanded him on his language before he picked her up in celebration and ran to Fleur and Bill and hugged them.

"Thank You! You gave me my life back!" Yes two new allies from inside Voldemorts followers this would be the edge we needed. Pigs must definitely be flying...a Weasley just voluntarily helped a Malfoy for the second time. Maybe we could win this war after all.

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	2. Chapter Two

Hey everyone! Thank you so much to those who read, reviewed and added to alerts list for my first chapter. I amsoglad you all liked it so far, some of my characters might be OOC butthat'sjustthe waythings have wentthroughoutmy writing journey of this story.

I apologise if mygrammarandpunctuationis not the best,I doproofread my chapters but it seems a teething fourteen month old makes my brain go funny.

Anyway! I hope you like this nextinstalment, this story will be a Cissamione story so please enjoy and review.

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ShellCottage

Some would call it mad, I called it insane, it turned out the two Malfoys were not as bad as we would have thought. Research was done and soon enough a batch of Polyjuice Potion was being created even though the two newcomers were not too receptive to the plan.

"I still think this is insane, I could walk into the bank right now as the Heir of Malfoy house and tell the Goblins they have a fucking Horcrux in their bank." All of us had to laugh at Draco, he had became somewhat close to Harry as time had gone on and then once Ron got over his idiocy of mistrust the became an amusing threesome.

"No! Look ferret you and your mother are in hiding right now, do you really want to walk straight into Voldemorts clutches? We don't know what kind of spies he has at Gringotts. Regardless of anything else you and your mother are now under my protection." He shrugged his shoulders as he looked positively Muggle, he had on a pair of black jeans, converse and a t-shirt and was sparring with Harry with the sword of Gryffindor and an old one that was transfigured.

"Look let me help, the Goblins will destroy it, no matter who's vault it is. If not then we can try your idea? I am not thrilled about putting my mother in harms way again but whatever you decided to do Potter I am with you. I know I don't really get a say and my mother might be a Slytherin but she is just as brave as a Gryffindor and will not let me go without her also." There was still some mistrust and yet they became easy allies quite quickly, I could only imagine what would be happening right now if Harry has shook Draco's hand in first year.

Narcissa Malfoy however was struggling to adjust, I would have thought it was her lack of fine things but instead it was nightmares and lack of personal space. Luna went back to her father so I shared a room with the formidable woman, the first night I was awakened by her screaming her husbands name and telling him to stop.

Once she awoke she grappled from the bed and whipped out her wand to point it at me. Thankfully I put silencing charms around the room in case I had a nightmare and carried my wand in a holster since fourth year.

"Mrs Malfoy it's ok!" Within seconds she snapped her wand down and appeared less frightened. It had dawned on her where she was and shame filled her face as she took in my stance and wand in hand.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger." I shook my head and made my way back down to my bed and leant my back against the wall relishing in the cool paint, the Older woman looked like she was coming back down to earth.

"What was your nightmare about?" She shook her head and conjured a glass and filled it with water. Within seconds she had it drained and looked to me. She sat with a pair of Silk Pyjamas and camisole, barefoot and no make up and looked stunning.

"I don't believe that is any of your business Miss Granger." Every now and again she reverted back to the cold hearted bitch we all thought we knew. At this point however I knew that was the only way she could survive her marriage to that prick not to mention Voldemort living in her house.

"Look whatever problems you have about me and my blood your gonna have to get over it! The day you chose to help me on your living room floor is the day you chose your side. So tell me what exactly did your husband do to you? I heard you telling him to stop!" I went too far, definitely, she froze and looked at me in a way no one has before.

"I don't give a damn about your blood Miss Granger! I never have so get off your own high horse and don't pretend like you know me." She stood up at this point and stalked toward me in a way that made me think of Bellatrix.

"You don't care that I am a Mudblood!" She flinched as I said it and I knew I had went to far, therecwas so many similarities between her and her sister and yet they were both so different.

"No I don't! Listen, my parents signed a betrothal contract for me to marry Lucius, it came with all sorts of clauses. I could not harm my husband, but he could harm me, I love my son but he was not born of love. The day you all saved me was the day I was freed." She didn't say anymore but I knew what had happened, she had spent so many years at the mercy of Lucius Malfoy.

"I have one more question?" She nodded and sat down beside me with her back to the wall as if she belonged there. It made me nervous and I was unsure why but she put her head on her knees and I could hear her breathing slow.

"You have glamours on your wrist what happened?" Within seconds she released them and all I could see was two red lines vertically down her wrists and I knew what had happened. Without thinking I reached out a traced them with my hands causing her to stiffen underneath me.

"Why?" She smiled at me and those blue eyes met my own and I felt so connected to her I couldn't breathe.

"I struggled for a while before I had Draco, I got married right after Hogwarts and had Draco fifteen months later. I was seventeen, my misconceptions about marriage were...well let's just say I had a lot to learn. He was brutal and hateful to me and I could not see myself surviving his brutality. Just before I found out I was pregnant I drew myself a bath one night, and with my wand tried to kill myself." I knew it happened, but hearing her say the words so stoically was terrifying, without thinking I took her hand in my own and held onto it.

I was half expecting her to pull it away but she took her other one and wrapped it around my own in thanks. I have never really had a friend who was a girl, maybe I could start. Ginny and Luna to an extent but Narcissa Malfoy was intelligent and interesting.

"Perhaps I should get up for the day, make breakfast for Mr And Mrs Weasley for being such nice hosts?" I nodded and we both made our way downstairs to the kitchen. Pouring us both a cup of tea we got to work on breakfast.

We had fun, for a little while there wasn't a war, nothing bad was happening and we could just be ourselves and live our life. One by one everyone started filtering downstairs, in two days we were going to either work with the Goblins to get rid of the Horcrux or steal it.

Polite conversations happened and that night we all sat around a small fire with glasses of wine, beer or whiskey and contemplated everything, the FLOO flared to life and Andromeda popped flew out of the house.

"I am a grandmother!" She stopped when She saw the two Malfoys and whipped out her wand and pointed it at her sister causing everyone to jump in front of her.

"Whoa! Andromeda!" I just stood in front of Narcissa and I saw Harry pull Draco behind him in protection and never in a million years would I have thought a Potter might save a Malfoy.

"What are they doing here Harry!" Evidently she knew Harry was here but no one thought to tell Andromeda her sister was now on the right side of things. She was fuming at the youngest black sister.

"She saved Hermione and then took a dagger for Dobby she has earned our trust!" She didn't lower her wand but continued to see the way everyone was protecting them both.

"Wouldn't be a reunion without one of us at Wandpoint Andi! You look good! Congratulations on becoming a grandmother!" She didn't know what to say and glanced around the room before landing on Harry.

"They wanted to see you, it's a boy, come on Harry." She left the room without another glance at her sister or nephew. Narcissa however let out a breath and looked positively shaky.

"Are you Ok?" She nodded her head at me and I took her hand in mine, she pulled from my grasp and made her way inside. I honestly don't think that could have gone worse.

"Don't worry about it Granger, there is a lot of baggage between them." I knew Andromeda didn't get on with her sister ever since she married Ted Tonks who was a muggleborn wizard. Tensions would probably continue to be high but I wish I could help the two sisters reunite a little bit better.

I excused myself and made my way up the stairs conflicted, why do I care about Narcissa Malfoy? What is it that is making me so obsessed with her? Is it a sense of obligation because she helped me? Or was it affection? I have only known her for a few days, I am younger than her although age is just a number look at Tonks and Lupin. We are in the middle of a war and she is married, granted he is an evil bastard but, I love Ron don't I?

Although my interaction with Ron had been few and far between since leaving Malfoy Manor I still cared for him, we have been distancing ourselves from each other that is true. Maybe he doesn't love me in that way? Maybe we have outgrown each other.

Footsteps coming toward me broke me out of whatever I was overthinking, Ron, speak of the devil and he shall appear. My trust broke in him when he left but then again he did come back.

"Hey, you Ok?" I nodded and unsure what possessed me to do it but I pulled him in for a kiss and although it was ok it felt strange. It only lasted a couple of seconds but when I pulled away he was shocked.

"What did you feel?" I knew he probably thought it was a trick question because he seemed reluctant to answer but I nodded to him to almost force him to.

"Umm nothing?" I nodded my head because it's how I felt also, he let out a sigh of relief before giving me a hug and we broke apart. All of that build up for nothing, I didn't feel the fire that everyone talked about.

"Still friends?" He nodded and I went to go to my room and let out a sigh of relief at having that cleared up. As I walked into the room she was lying in her bed and had her back to me, her hair was in a long braid down her back. I didn't want to wake her but once I got changed for bed and sat on my cot she turned around to look directly at me.

"I'm sorry for running earlier Miss Granger...I haven't seen my sister in twenty-two years. She has gotten more and more like Bella I was...surprised. When she drew her wand it was like looking at Bellas twin." I could only nod my head and went to sit on her bed beside her which made her laugh slightly at our mirrored positions. I was content to let her sit in silence knowing I was here for her.

"Well nothing as dramatic as reuniting with a sister after two decades but I kissed Ron tonight." I saw a flash of something that looked like irritation and knew my teenage problems were probably of no consequence to her but continued on anyway.

"It was like kissing my brother, we decided to stay friends." She nodded at me but didn't say anything, stupid Hermione she lost her home, husband albeit he was a bastard but her entire life was different and that probably would be a good thing if we win the war. For now however I doubt she appreciates my blathering on about my life.

"Well at Seventeen you have your whole life ahead of you to figure out who you are going to be with, your lucky you get a choice." I cocked my head at her and she had a small grimace on her face.

"What do you mean?" I knew Wizarding nobility created marriage contracts to ensure survival of the family blood but she looked so sad. After our conversation that morning I was enlightened to the ways of Pureblooded marriage.

"Well I was Betrothed to Lucius from I was a child, we married as soon as I turned seventeen and I had Draco the following year just after my eighteenth birthday. You are lucky to get the choice." I nodded in understanding and did the math. She was only thirty-five at the most, no wonder she looked amazing, she looked as if she was only twenty-five.

"Well if you want to get technical, I'm Twenty?" She was confused before she lifted her wand out and cast a spell on me and it flashed in front of me. Twenty years and Eight months.

"Ok, please explain?" I then told her of the time turner escapade in third year and how I used it probably a lot more that I should have.

"There was just so many books to read, and I went back and allowed myself to sleep during the day, it was exhausting but I am glad I did it." She nodded at me but I could see the slight intrigue at my escapades.

"Someday I would like to hear about your shenanigans over the years." I nodded and she pressed her hand to my leg and all of a sudden it almost burnt me.

"Goodnight Hermione." She stood up and I almost jumped up after her just to feel those hands on mine and hear her say my name again.

"Goodnight Narcissa." We continued looking at one another for another few seconds before she turned around just as I was gonna lean forward to hug her. Both of us went to our separate beds and awaited sleep, although it didn't come easy. At least not for me.

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The following morning I awoke alone and a small noise from downstairs made me think she was trying to earn her keep by cooking, it surprised me she knew how to cook, I thought she was weighted on hand and foot by house elves.

Once I brushed my teeth the Muggle way of course I made my way downstairs to see just Fleur and Harry so far. My best friend looked so happy and he started talking a mile a minute about Teddy the baby.

"He is so perfect...Remus was being an idiot and I had to give him a kick up the ass but they named me godfather." I smiled at him and gave him a hug before asking where Narcissa was.

"She wanted to go for a walk but I told her to stay inside the wards." I nodded at Fleur and excused myself to go out the front door. I couldn't see her immediately and so I walked along the shore until I came across the strangest sight.

A large Snow White wolf came running toward me and if I didn't know any better I would have freaked out but once she got to me I recognised those eyes. I probably wouldn't have if I didn't know she was here but those damn blue eyes are so distinctively Narcissa.

"Oh my god your an Animagus?" Within seconds she had transformed and stood beside me in all her glory again and I was in awe. It looked familiar to me but I couldn't bring myself to tell her of it in case she freaked out.

"I wanted to be one ever since I saw Minerva McGonagall transform in first year. So in my fifth year I started learning and made the transformation in my seventh before I graduated." She was incredible, it made me think of her in a whole different light.

"Here I thought you were just a trophy wife!" She smiled at me and we made our way back to the house again. Once we walked into the kitchen again Andromeda was sitting and all conversation stopped as soon as we walked into the room. Turning her attention to her sister she poured herself a cup of tea before giving the older woman a look like poison.

"We need to talk!" She just nodded at Andromeda and I felt wary that both Black Sisters were going to be in the inside of a room together and not try and kill each other.

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There you have it! I hope you are enjoying, ifI get achance tomorrowIwill probably upload another chapter!! Please Review and letme knowwhat you think.


	3. Chapter Three

Hey everyone!! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank You to everyone who added to alerts, reviewed and favourited.

Please Review and let me know what you think...I appreciate all criticism even if it's not positive.HappyReading

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Both of the women stood looking at each other for a moment before the younger stood up and followed her older sister out of the room without even a glance back. Harry, Fleur and I were left behind and in all honesty we were worried but thankfully all of our conversations turned to the Polyjuice Potion and our plan for Gringotts.

We still had another two weeks before the Potion became ready to use and Bellatrix's hair was sitting waiting on us. Everything was going to work out or else it would be a complete and total disaster.

Ron and Draco came grumbling into the kitchen and for a few moments and were not coherent enough for a conversation. Fleur pressed mugs as large as buckets under their noses and after a grumbled thank you they proceeded to drink and eat once a plate of eggs, bacon and toast was set down in front of them.

I was unsure how to broach the conversation with him because it truly was none of my business but I wanted, no, I needed to know what has happened to her. She is the most closed off person I have ever met.

"Draco, when we were in the Manor, your mother said something to Lucius, about marriage contracts not allowing her to kill him. What did that mean?" I had no idea about marriages and what their contracts could or could not dictate. The young man who I will admit I am getting quite fond of without the Pureblooded bullshit spewing from his mouth was more than happy to answer my questions.

"Old pure blooded families usually negotiate contracts of marriage for their children, almost always it includes certain clauses. Although usually now it's relatively equal such as no infidelity etcetera but my mother's contract was negotiated from quite early on except it was Andromedas name on the contract." It seemed I wasn't the only one interested because everyone was sitting engrossed in the conversation.

"When Aunt Andromeda was to come of age she was to marry my father so when she ran away, my grandparents wanted to save face and them put my mothers name on it. She then became the Bride in the contract, once my mother became of age it was signed and they were married. So the clauses in my mother's contract allowed my father to whore around but not my mother unless my father allowed it, she was not allowed to physically hurt him in anyway shape or form but he was allowed to do it to her." That was so barbaric! I can't believe the years she had to endure with that horrific man.

"What can she do to get out of it?" Surprisingly it was Harry asking that and not me, even Fleur seemed sickened by what Narcissa had to go through at the hands of her husband.

"The head of her maiden house has to annul the marriage but since Sirius died I don't know who that is..." I turned to my best friend who was mirroring the smile that was plastered on my face. It couldn't be that easy, is there a way to do it in the middle of a war without getting caught and thrown in Azkaban or in Harry's case killed.

"This is their plotting face. They do this a lot...well Hermione does and Harry has recently joined in." Ron it seemed was starting to come around from his sleepiness at this point and rolled his eyes at the both of us and our identical expressions.

"I do know who the head of Black house is..." Draco smiled and looked between the both of us expectantly, and waited for a few seconds almost making us uncomfortable.

"Really! Who?" Harry set down his mug and smirked at the boy feeling smug, Lucius Malfoy will not know what hit him.

"Me..." The blonde boy began to smile and then leant over and punched him on the arm causing everyone to glare at the blonde.

"You mean to tell me you had a way of getting in with the Goblins and you are only waiting until now to to tell us this! The Polyjuice Rubbish is idiotic." Harry rubbed his arm slightly before scowling at his new friend.

"Firstly OW! Secondly it's not as if I can do anything about it at the moment. I can't just waltz in and get them to talk to me." Draco shook his head at all of us as if we were stupid, I really need to read up on Gringotts rules.

"How many times must I tell you! The goblins don't care! Outwardly yes! If you walk in the front door then yes they would have to allow the Aurors to arrest you. However, if you set up a meeting time they would not be able to say anything to anyone about you being there. They appear to be pro dark until someone confronts them about it." Both Harry, Ron and I smiled at each other and I made a note to get Narcissa to teach me about old customs, it would be far more enjoyable in her company that reading about it on my own.

"Ok here's what you do, get a piece of parchment and write to your head of accounts, if you do not know I am sure Mother will. Tell them you want to take up your headship, and that your friend wants an inheritance test." Again I was confused at that and it appeared so was Harry.

"Trust me, Weasley comes from a prominent family and everyone Weasley know who they are related to. You however are a Granger yes but the name of Dagworth-Granger hasn't had anyone claim it in over one hundred years, if the goblins think they are going to get more business they would defy Merlin himself." Harry nodded and went to get a piece of parchment and set up a time and place for them to go to Gringotts. He didn't know his account manager so he left the greeting blank until Narcissa came back.

Now we had a plan that didn't involve breaking into Gringotts, this was going to work. It was another hour before Andromeda and Narcissa came into the house holding onto each others arm and it seemed as if the ice had thawed. Andromeda walked straight over to Draco and held her hand out for him to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Draco!" He pulled her in for a hug instead which it seemed surprised the older witch, after a few moments she disappeared through the F.L.O.O back to her newborn grandson. We told Narcissa of her plan and she wholeheartedly approved.

"I think the Goblin in charge of the Black accounts was Ragnok, I could be mistaken, get the horcrux sorted when you are in there, they will have to listen to you! You are the heir to the House of Potter and Black. Now you are of age you are one of the richest people in the Wizarding World, on par with the Malfoys of course." The next couple of hours were spent finessing his letter with Narcissa and then calling Dobby to deliver it.

All of us split off and I saw Narcissa heading upstairs away from everyone and I followed her up where I found her in the room we shared staring out at the ocean. She didn't realise I was here and so I slowly crept over and cleared my throat as to not frighted or startle her.

She turned around and slowly wiped the small tears off her face and she smiled at me, that smile made me weak at the knees. Merlin! I like her! I am attracted to her and as stupid as it probably was that I was feeling this way, it would be even stupider to ignore it.

"Hermione, I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in, lost in my thoughts." I knew she probably had a trying day and even though she had been reunited with her sister I can't imagine that's what the tears are for.

"Hey what's wrong?" I immediately as if on instinct walked the remainder of the distance toward her and turned her to me.

" Talk to me, what's going on in that beautiful brain of yours?" She let out a gasp as I called her beautiful, I had already said it and I don't regret it but she was terrified.

"Talk to me, we may not have known each other that long but I have grown fond of you...I would like to call you my friend?" She nodded her head at me and I guided her to sit at the edge of her bed and instantly the coconut and pineapple scent invaded my senses, she smelt like a damn Pina Colada! God I wanted to be more than her friend but I can't tell her that.

"I hate this whole thing? Reuniting with Andromeda made me think of Bella, she saved me from more of Lucius's power trip and even though she hurt you and tortured the Longbottoms, she was my sister once upon a time. Fiercely loyal, would do anything to protect both Andi and I. It's stupid that I miss her, not the woman that hurt you but the one that protected me." I can't sit and pretend to feel something for Bellatrix Lestrange but she must have been a good person once upon a time.

"She is your sister, no one is going to fault you for caring and missing her, I don't. Even though I was an only child I have seen first hand what Siblings do to protect each other. I have been friends with the Weasleys after all." She held onto my arm and lifted her other long, pale hand to wipe the tears from her face.

"Ugh look at me, I'm a mess! I am not usually so disheveled in company." I conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her and shook my head at her. This was the Ice Queen facade coming back and I refuse to let her be like that with me.

"You look stunning." I said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear causing her to jump and look at me, there was no mistaking it, in front of me in her eyes was desire. She liked me back.

"Can I ask a question?" She nodded her head and didn't speak and I think it was probably because she was afraid to at that point. I untucked the piece of hair and curled it around my finger relishing in the soft almost silk like quality to it.

"Which one is your natural colour?" She smiled at me and looked down at her shoes almost embarrassed before looking back up at my eyes.

"Well you met Sirius, Andromeda and Bella, that is the colour of the Black family except my mother...she was a Blonde and so I am the only one in my generation. The black was something I added when I had Draco to feel closer to my sisters." I nodded and tucked her hair behind her ear again and smiled. We didn't speak and I didn't remove my hand. I was feeling bold, bolder than I ever have and I kept my hand pressed against her cheek and trailed her jaw softly with my hand.

Her eyes were wide at the beginning but now she wanted me, I could definitely see it in her eyes. Narcissa Malfoy, mother of Draco Malfoy, Slytherin extraordinaire wanted me. Muggleborn Gryffindor Hermione Granger. I leant in slowly, I didn't want to startle her but she also moved slowly in until there was less than a millimetre between our lips.

"HERMIONE! YOU UP HERE?" Harry's voice made both of us jump apart and she moved from the bed like lightning, I didn't know what to say to her but it seems my choice was taken away as footsteps thudded up the stairs and a knock on the door followed.

"Hermione, Harry wants to see you." Fleur poked her head around and glanced between Narcissa who was standing at the other side of the room and me where I sat rooted to the bed.

"I will be right there Fleur thank you." She nodded and looked between us one last time and had a smile on her face. Once she left we looked at each other again and I smiled at her causing her back to relax. I walked over to her and took her hand again.

"We can talk later." She nodded and I walked away not without one final glance at her, I was met with Draco at the door who came bounding in. I left mother and son to talk as I went down to see what Harry wanted.

I walked into the kitchen to a completely different vibe, Harry was to excited as he waved a piece of parchment in my face, and Ron trailed me over to sit at the table.

"The Goblins want us to come and see them, at four thirty tonight." I nodded my head at him and he hugged me, it seems with the help of Narcissa and Draco they were going to bypass breaking the Gringotts laws.

"Ok no problem, I will take all your things and put them in my bag because if something goes wrong we need to be prepared." He nodded and hugged me again.

"Make sure Narcissa and Draco are packed too." I turned to him in shock, I am not walking them back into the snake pit, he must have seen my confusion and bowed his head slightly.

"The Goblins want to see them both, Narcissa needs to come for her blood and they want to see Draco too for some reason." I shook my head at him, there is no way. Both of them can stay here.

"NO! Harry we just saved them and now you want to put them at risk again. NO! Draco and Narcissa will be killed if they are found consorting with us like that." I think it threw both of them at how protective I was being but I didn't care in that moment.

"Hermione, we need them there, the Goblins are expecting them and none of us can go Polyjuice as them because they will need blood probably as proof." Soft footsteps behind me made me realise we were not alone.

"It's alright Mr Potter we will come with you." A soft hand on my back made my vision tunnel. She had no sense of self preservation did she. Harry just nodded his head and went to get his things ready and have a couple of hours to himself. Ron it seems wanted to do the same thing and Draco was nowhere to be seen.

"Can I speak to you? In private?" She nodded her head at me and I felt her follow me up the stairs, as soon as the door clicked close she lifted her wand and set up a silencing charm.

"I have had people dictate my life since I was a child, what makes you think you also have the right to decide what I can and can't do?" I was taken aback by her tone of voice, in my small amount of interactions with the Malfoy Matriarch the one in Diagon Alley is the most vivid.

She was cold, stubborn and uppidy and she seems to think I am going to recoil and sit and take it like a good little girl. Boy is she wrong.

"Forgive me for not wanting anything to happen to you, we just escaped the clutches of your deranged husband and lunatic sister I really don't want to walk you straight back into their clutches." She took two steps till she was standing directly Infront of me.

"My wellbeing is none of your concern, neither is my freedom which is what I will gain by going with you all. I have made my choice and much to my chagrin so has my son, what makes you think we are going to sit here and let you three take everything on yourselves?" I am not budging, Merlin this woman is infuriating.

"Why should you be any different? Dumbledore expects Harry to win a war without help, three teenagers against Voldemort and his Horcruxes. We have been fighting him since we were eleven why should adults step in to help us now?" She recoiled, I won, the defiance in her eyes turned to sadness and anger.

"Regardless of the great Albus Dumbledores plan, the last plan you all had ended with you lying on my lounge floor, forgive me for wanting to add some Slytherin thinking into your brash Gryffindor act before you think plan!" This woman is so frustrating, how dare she ridicule me, ugh!

"Excuse me, we have a well thought out plan!" She scoffed at me, actually scoffed before taking another step causing me to step back against the now closed door.

"You have a plan yes, but it's not foil proof against every scenario. We could be ambushed, betrayed or any of the above. I thought you were known as the brightest witch of your age, I have yet to see it." She was standing less than a foot from me now, her eyes were full of fire and passion and I couldn't help myself but I kissed her!

It took a few seconds but she actually kissed me back, I flipped her around so she was pressed against the door and just revelled in the fact that she was actually kissing me back. I slowly tried to gain access to her mouth with my tongue, hands were roaming and I pressed my leg in-between hers.

God she felt amazing, she had the curves and breasts that I lacked and yet her hands were roaming all over my body. It was almost as if a light bulb came on and she pushed me away and I saw tears in her eyes.

"Damnit!" Within seconds she had the door pulled open and ran out of the room, my head was spinning, what the hell? We were arguing, then kissing and then she ran. What did I do? Draco took that moment to pop his head in and glare at me.

"Granger what the hell did you do?" I just shook my head at the blonde prat who was glaring at me as if I was Voldemort himself.

"Nothing!" He shook his head and stepped fully into the room looking at me.

"Why did my mother run out of here crying?" I shook my head again at him.

"Nothing we were arguing and I was trying to get her to stay here..." Draco pinched his nose and flopped down on a chair.

"Granger, my mother is stubborn as a mule do you really think she is just going to sit on the sidelines?" I couldn't talk to him right now, I need to find her. As I went to stand up he blocked the door.

"Whoa! What do you think your doing?" I just stood with my hands on my hips and glared at him.

"Get out of my way Malfoy unless you want any me to punch you again!" He shook his head but moved and let me leave, where could she be? I ran into Fleur again and she pointed out to the ocean and I seen her sitting there on the sand. The closer and closer I got to her the more I noticed.

She looked so cold as the rain and wind blew around her, her hair was up but the tentrils that were loose were blowing. She must have knew I was there because she tensed slightly as I got closer to her.

"On the grand scheme of things that was probably not a good thing to do, no matter how much I enjoyed it." A small smile erupted on her face as I sat down beside her on the cold sand, she turned her head to me and she looked stunning. I silently cast a disillusionment charm.

"I'm sorry, it's just, I haven't..." She seemed embarrassed and for a moment I thought she probably thought it was a mistake but she ran her fingers through her hair in a way that was so unlike her.

"Narcissa, stop freaking out," she nodded her head at me and it took me a second to understand.

"That was the first time I was properly kissed Hermione." How in the bloody hell can that be? She has a son and is married and then it twigged in my head. Lucius was not affectionate to his wife, she said her expectation of marriage had to be recalibrated.

"You are married? You have a son, didn't he kiss you when you had your Wedding Ceremony? Or as much as this pains me to ask, when you were in bed together?" She shook her head and I was floored, and felt utterly embarrassed. Who was I to take that from her.

"Narcissa, I'm sorry." She shook her head and took my hand on hers smiling.

"No Hermione, it's not something I want you to be sorry for, it was amazing. Before I got married I was the Slytherin Ice Queen and didn't want to lower myself to kiss anyone in my years at Hogwarts. Lucius kissed with a peck when we married, he wasn't a gentle lover Hermione. When you kissed me it had so much fire it drove me crazy." I still didn't know what the problem was.

"Ok so why did you run?" She was rubbing small circles on the back of my hand at this point and it was incredibly comforting.

"It felt amazing and I got scared, I have never enjoyed something so intimate like that before...you made me feel amazing! I didn't mean to run but you are a child and I felt like some sort of predator for liking it." I laughed at her, actually laughed because that was ridiculous.

"Narcissa, technically I am nearly twenty-one technically. I want you just as much as you want me." She smiled at me and I glanced backwards and seen the house was slightly sheilded by the dune beside it and we couldn't be seen due to the disillusionment Charm. I would shout it from the rooftops but we were at war, Harry and Ron would shit themselves and she is technically still married but evidently I can get away with certain things.

As I turned my head back to her I smiled before putting one hand on her cheek and turning almost completely to her and started running my finger along her jawline.

"This is the way this should have went." I leant forward and pressed my lips to hers, she responded almost immediately and this was better than the first one, on no time at all I sat up and straddled her waist, we sat hands exploring over our clothes and tongues and mouths getting to know each other. Reluctantly I pulled away because I didn't know what the limitations were.

"What can we do that doesn't risk your marriage contract? Assuming you want to." She smiled at me and pulled me down for a kiss. She soon told me everything above clothes, no penetration or oral sex which caused me to blush at the words at the thought of penetrating the woman in front of me.

"Hermione, Narcissa!" Harry's voice broke through the wind and I then realised I was straddling the woman in the rain on the beach. I reluctantly climbed off her and stood up before helping her to her feet.

"To be continued?" She nodded her head and softly kissed me once more before we turned just in time as Harry came around the corner.

"Hey guys we need to go..." We made our way back to the house and cast a drying and cleaning charm on our clothes before we all thanked Fleur and Bill for helping us and we bid them farewell and with Dobby's help again popped away to Gringotts hopefully getting one step closer to our goal.

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	4. Chapter Four

Hey everyone! Thank you to everyone who has left me a comment, I really appreciate it. **_Apologies in advance for grammer and punctuation, I do proofread but teething baby equals mistakes._**

This little story has took on a life of its own, incase you haven't realised yet, this story is a CISSAMIONE story. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter Four

Once that familiar feeling of spinning and squeezing stopped we were in what appeared to be a large conference room. A small goblin was sitting at the top of the desk, he was eyeing us before directing us with his hand to the table.

"Now Mr Potter, we have been trying to reach you since you turned fifteen and we have not received any correspondence back from you...no matter though you are here now. Since you are now of age you are required to take up your Lordship as the Head of The Potter Family." Now? In the middle of the war baffled me but Harry nodded at him and kept glancing at Narcissa and Draco.

"Yes, I must first apologise for I did not receive any correspondence from anyone at Gringotts. I am happy enough to take up the head of my house but I also have a couple of other things on the agenda also Ragnok sir." I seen the goblin shift slightly uncomfortably in his chair when Harry called him sir.

"Very well. We will deal with the other things later, drop a small amount of Blood into the Goblet so as we can assess and confirm your identity." He did so and within seconds a small box appeared and three ringssatin it, he lifted out a gold ring with the Potter family crest of a coat of arms with wings on it. He placed it on his finger at Ragnoks assistance, the Black family ring was just that, black with a raven on it and it too joined the Potter ring.

The Final ring made Ron, Harry and I gasp, the symbol of the Deathly Hallows was etched on the silver ring and he placed the last one on his hand and they all merged together as he did so. He was now Lord Potter-Black Peverell.

"Now we have been handling your affairs and investments since your parents died, would you like to keep it that way? We can arrange a drop box that you can take with you and we can sent all important information from us to that as well as any other mail you want?" Harry just nodded and a rectangular box appeared in front of them all and Harry lifted it and it glowed. Once he opened it there was a large black notebook inside and he took it out to open it.

"As you can see from this everything is split into three sections, your holdings per house, investments etcetera, I know you are busy at the moment Mr Potter but once things are over please look it over and we will talk." He nodded his head before turning back to the Goblin.

"I would like to annul the Marriage of Narcissa Malfoy and reclaim the dowry paid to the Malfoy family." Within seconds the goblin nodded his head had a page in front of Harry to sign and Narcissa Malfoy was now Narcissa Black.

"Also a will, if anything happens to me, I want to name Hermione Granger as my heir to the Potter titles and everything that comes with it, I want Teddy Lupin to become my heir for the house of Black and I want Ron Weasley to be my heir for the Peverell house. The Dowry I received from the annulment can you set it up in a vault for Narcissa Black." She went to stop him and he just held up his hand much to the amusement of Draco.

"No, think of it as compensation for having to deal with a bigoted bastard all those years." The goblin turned to Harry and laughed before looking at Narcissa and handing her a similar ledger.

"Lady Black, I think you will find this interesting, in order for certain men to keep their noses clean financially they would use their wives signatures for their banking, almost everything except for Malfoy Manor and some liquidated assets is in your name." She was shocked as she looked on the piece of paper before smirking, he handed her a house ring and she smirked as she put it on hoping Lucius would feel the magic fade from his finger.

"Well then it appears everything is in order, in that respect I would also like to make a will, if I die all assets go to Draco Malfoy or if he is unable or unwilling, Edward 'Teddy' Lupin is to be my heir." He was shocked as were we all and she signed a signature along with Harry and then the goblin turned his attentions to me.

"Are you the one who needs an inheritance test?" I meakly nodded and I felt Narcissas hand on my thigh to calm me. The goblin pulled out a piece of parchment and I wrote my name on it. Slowly lines appeared and traced my magical ancestry all the way back to the1300's. I recognised some names and apparently Remus was a distant cousin which was kind of cool.

"Now you are descended from two family lines and are therefore entitled to a total of four vaults, the Dagworth Granger vaults which has very little monetary value only half a million but the jewels, books and other trinkets etcetera including potions paraphernalia is also there." I was starting to get a little overwhelmed but Narcissa was helping me stay grounded and encouraging me.

"The last two vaults are extremely old, the last claimant was over two hundred years ago and that is the vault of the Hawthorne Family. They have accumulated a small fortune since the last heir claimed the vault, since he didn't name an heir it has been put on a high yield and high reward scheme ever since." I am still reeling, Narcissa was holding onto my leg under the table and Harry was smirking causing me to kick him under the table.

"Ow blimey Hermione, it's just good I don't have to do this whole rich thing alone." I stick my tongue out at him in a very childish way but I don't know what I was going to do. I had means to live now, if I did live and more importantly the vaults had books.

"So as with the others this is yours, an inventory of your vaults and asserts. I am aware you are all very busy so peruse at your leisure. This is your house rings and there is two seats on the Wizengamot awaiting you once this ugliness with Tom Riddle is over." I placed the first of my house rings which had no surprises a cauldron on a silver ring, the Hawthorne ring was black metal with a white tree on it and I pushed onto my finger and like Harry's they melded.

"So final order of business, what else can I do for you Lord Potter." All of ussatup a little straighter as Ragnok and Harry took charge.

"Tom Riddle created Horcruxes and we believe one of them is in a vault here at Gringotts, the Lestrange vault. I would like to annul the marriage of Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange and gain access to the vault if possible." Ragnok looked livid and soon he started speaking gobbledygook and another goblin appeared in the room. He was shocked by its inhabitants and something didn't sit right with me about him.

"Please prepare a carriage for a trip down to the highest vaults." The goblin nodded his head and was gone in seconds leaving us with a very irritated goblin.

"Now Mr Potter, as the vault in question is in BellatrixLestrangesname I can grant your request, I am assuming you have a way of destroying the item and finding it?" He nodded his head and handed him another piece of parchment and he signed it before directing us out of the room after making sure we had all of our belongings.

Once in the carriage it made the long trip down to the bottom of the castle and sitting there on the floor was a dragon who looked blind and as if it had seen better days.

Ragnok lifted out some sort of bells and my ears were ringing and blood was boiling. As we all made our way across the floor in front of it cowering at the noise I desperately wanted to free it.

"That is barbaric!" Ragnok surprisingly nodded his head and agreed with me but apparently he is not high up enough to pass a motion to free the beast. We climbed up a set of steps and made our way down a long corridor and at the bottom must have been our destination.

Narcissa opened the vault as she is the closest blood relative and the door swung open. There was gold, jewels, books and Harry's head snapped up to the top shelf, and started walking toward it, his leg caught something and all of a sudden one became two, two became four and four became eight etcetera.

"Ah fuck! What the hell Bella? Gemino Curse!" Narcissa was pissed and yet I was momentarily distracted by the potty mouth until I came back down to reality and realised the situation we were in.

Slowly Harry started climbing on top of everything and clambered his way to a small cup sitting on a shelf. Ron, Narcissa, Draco and I tried desperately not to move and the Gemino curse slowed down and buried Harry almost.

"Hermione the sword." I fished out the sword from my bag and threw it at him before he managed to tuck one handle over the blade and his head was then covered. Silence ticked on for a few seconds before he jumped up again and Ragnok opened the door and we all practically fell out.

Once outside of the vault we caught our breath and I put the cup into my bag but couldn't find the sword and we started trying to get out but life again had other fucking plans. Narcissa put what looked like a large collection of letters in her bag and I caught Bellatrix's name on them to which she shook her head, I know she will probably tell me later so I dropped it.

We went to walk out when I saw a streak of red aimed at us and pushed Draco out of the way. He was startled bit thankful once he realised what I had done. Streaks of red, green and purple were flying and luckily we had alcoves to duck behind.

I could see the Lestrange brothers along with ten others including Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix, the latter looked amazed at us and we all tried desperately to keep them on one side of the dragon and us on the other.

"Now what! Bloody hell can't things go right at all." As Ron said this a took a moment to look around, Narcissa was holding her own against her former brother in law and Harry was trying to settle a score it seems. I couldn't help but think Bellatrix's heart wasn't in it whilst defending herself though.

Why was this terrifying woman halfassingher spells and curses, she was missing my best friend on purpose. Harry was going hell for leather throwing curse after curse and I couldn't help but think Bellatrix seemed bored, she kept looking between Narcissa and I and smirked at us. I was definitely missing something when it came toVoldemortsright hand.

"Well? Anyone any ideas?" I had one but I didn't particularly want to put it into practice, this could not be that simple...dangerous as hell but relatively simple. Narcissa looked at me and saw my head going a mile a minute and it was almost like instantly she knew what I was thinking.

"Are you insane? NO! I know what you're thinking. This is crazy there has to be a different way! Why do you have to come up with such a Gryffindor plan!" Everyone else was clueless and before anyone could stop me I threw abombardaat the railings in front of me as the death eaters tried to contend with a pissed off fire breathing dragon.

Using that distraction I stood back and ran full speed at the dragons back, it didn't even notice I was there he was having fun with Barbequed death eater. Harry, Ron, Draco and Narcissa were standing with their mouths gaping at me and they needed to hurry up.

"Come on! Move your arse!" Narcissa was next and shuffled up to where I was on the other side, Harry, Ron and Draco followed in quick succession and soon we were on the back of a dragon and thankfully sheilding it enough to get out.

I took off its chain and made it move, without warning another body jumped in front of us and Bellatrixs eyes met mine.

She made no move to stop us justsatstriding the dragon and holding onto its collar like she was riding a horse backward.

Narcissa had her wand pointing at her sister whilst the others were deflecting curses and I was trying to get the dragon moving. Slowly but surely we were far enough away that curses stopped hitting us or the dragon who was getting more and more irritated.

All wands trained on Bellatrix before we popped right through the ceiling into the main reception room of Gringotts, once the goblins seen the dragon and saw who was sitting above it they were in shock, the beast pushed through the ceiling until it was sitting on top of the building. I hated doing it but I hit it's tail to get it to move.

Soon enough after stumbling over some buildings we were up in the air and I cast a notice me not charm on us all whilst not letting go of my wand. BellatrixLestrangewell Black now I suppose was staring at us all.

"Potter...you've been destroying marriage contracts haven't you?" Harry merely nodding at her without showing any fear and held his wand on her. She just laughed and winked at him before turning her attentions to me.

"I have to say I am impressedmudblood! That was your plan to spring the dragon wasn't it dearie!" I nodded my head and tried to channel Narcissa with her cold facade which made the oldest black sister laugh.

"Oh Cissy! You have been busy, littleMudbloodhas picked up some skill from you." Narcissa held her wand in front of her sisters face making her smirk.

"Call her that again I dare you." Harry and Ron were looking at us as if they were dreaming. Draco was the closest to Narcissa and Bellatrix's eyeszeeroedin on his arm. She reached forward and pulled up his sleeve and laughed.

"How? HOW?" She didn't look angry she looked excited, for the first time she looked Human, Fleur taught me the spell and gave me a rest of the poultice so I suppose I could cleanse her but why should I?

"A parselmouth, virgin hair and Muggleborn blood, you want rid of it?." I deadpanned and everyone looked at me as if I had six heads for engaging with her. She was crazy but the longing in her eyes was more potent than her bloodlust. She didn't answer and I turned to Draco.

"Is there a compulsion and loyalty charm on the dark mark?" He nodded his head at me in shock and then back at his aunt.

"Yes, it amplifies everything, makes you feel darkness that is already there, pushes you to feel things and do things. When I was on the Astronomy Tower it kept almost screaming at me to cast the killing curse but I resisted." I wonder why that was but thankfully Bellatrix answered.

"That's because you are pure, and innocent nephew because of your mothers love. You resisted the thrall from the dark lord to kill. Clearly your kindness is the one thing you got from my sister." This insane woman was livid and kept looking at me and I made the mistake of looking into her eyes and I could feel it.

She practically slammed into my head and she must have got what she wanted because she pulled away looking even more deranged but smiling at Narcissa and I.

"Oh little sister! You really have been busy!" The others were confused but Narcissa and I looked at each other as our wands were still trained on Bellatrix.

"I do want rid of it, eventually but for now it wouldn't do you any good, he is calling me. Look after my family!" She was gripping her arm slightly before waving and turned quicker than I could keep up and jumped from the dragon anddissaparatedmidair.

She might be crazy but that was impressive. I let out a breath and by this stage we were far enough away and I could see water and mountains on either side.

"We need to jump, NOW!" One by one we all jumped from the dragon and when I surfaced I saw Draco and Narcissa already making their way over to the shore with Ron slowly behind them. I made my way after and it took a few minutes but Harry eventually started following.

Once we made our way to the shore I threw my bag down and started pouring dittany onto everyone's hands and injuries I can see. Harry was as pale as a sheet and he turned to me.

"He knows! You know who! He knows we broke into Gringotts and he knows what we took! He knows we are hunting Horcruxes." I glared at him and instantly regretted it because it's not as of he could help it.

"You let him in! Harry!" He shook me off and I didn't bother saying anything and he continued to talk to us.

"One of them is at Hogwarts, something to do with Ravenclaw! We need to go there now!" Narcissa was staring to change and was wrapped in a blanket and I followed suit.

"Mr Potter, you can't just show up at Hogwarts, Severus is Headmaster now! We need a plan!" He shook his head at the woman in defiance.

"Look anytime we have a plan it goes to hell in a handbasket! We can use the secret passage and go in through that way, I still have the map, we can do it." She shook her head in defeat and told him he was crazy.

"Something is wrong, he is like getting wounded, and he seemed terrified, he will be even more dangerous." Slowly but surely we all changed and were soon dried, Narcissa was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and what looked like military boots, tank top and leather jacket. She looked hot.

Harry and Ron apparently thought so as they were looking at her with their jaws dropped causing Draco to hit them on the arm and breaking me out of myown pervefest.

"Potter! Weasley! Stop looking at my mother like a piece of meat!" Both boys blushed as did Narcissa at being stared at, we decided to have a little bit of a rest and waiting till dark to go to Hogwarts. We were having a quick bit of food that Fleur gave us and the past few hours was confusing.

The conversation soon turned to Bellatrix and her strange behaviour, bear in mind she did torture me not that long ago but she seemed excited when she found out we had found s way to get rid of the Dark Mark.

"That's twice she has saved you Hermione, of course she tortured you first and then threw that knife and impaled it in you Narcissa but she didn't seem to be trying at the bank to hurt Harry. Why?" Narcissa took that moment to jump in and correct Ron.

"Actually Lucius threw the dagger, by the time he pulled his arse off the floor, he threw it. Bella and I made a pact as children, we would protect one another, she is a loyal sister, by extension she knows what side I have chosen, she probably would have been able to chose that side also if she didn't have the dark mark." Harry's face set to anger and Ron was conflicted.

"I am not going to let Neville's parents torturer go, so if she survives and we win...I am not letting her get away with it." She shook her head at him and instantly hardened.

"Typical Gryffindor jumping to conclusions, that's not what I am saying. She has tortured and killed people, it has been very difficult to get up to her level of the inner circle at this point and not have done that. The only reason I haven't is because I appeared to be nothing but a housewife toyou-know-who. He didn't know what talents I had, and I wasn't going to tell him." Draco smiled at this and looked at his mother with nothing but pride.

"First of all, I get it, I am an impulsive Gryffindor, but can you blame me for being wary over the trust you have in your sister. Yes she listened to you and stopped torturing Hermione, she didn't do anything to us at the bank and justsatin front of us straddling a dragon and didn't lift her wand. Those actions do not condone a lifetime of wickedness." Narcissa shook her head before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Ok I understand that, if my sister survives this war and you win, she has to live with her actions but let me tell you this, Bella was brought up to hate non-magicals, it was drilled into her from a young agethat they were dangerous. We were told that Muggles would and have in the past burnt us at the stake for witchcraft. To make matters worse, then she was sorted into Slytherin and got it there also, then she was practically sold to Lestrange like I was to Lucius. Can you blame her for being prejudiced? Yes not to the extent that she is but she has had to overcome astronomical odds not to mention fifteen years ofdementorexposure." Harry was stubborn and wasn't budging but I could see he was thinking things over.

"There is more, I found letters, correspondence between two people and it was rather a shock for me to find this out so please prepare yourself." She reached into her bag and pulled out letters, they were old and faded but there looked to be over twenty letters in her hands, she reached one to each of us and instantly we were both shocked and horrified.

"Look at the dates...read it!" As I looked over the intimate words between Bella who was a young woman and her lover who was significantly older.

I couldn't help but blush at it, the person who wrote them seemed so straightlaced and to hear her use the language she does to this younger woman just seems wrong. Harry looked horrified and Ron looked like he was going to pass out.

"Hang on! Aunt Bella had a relationship with...McGonagall!" Yes black and white in front of me was proof that Bella and Minerva McGonagall had an affair. She had graduated and what I read I could tell, they loved each other.

Inside a letter was a photo and it showed Minerva in a green long sleeve dress barefoot on a beach and Bellatrix who was wearing a black dress had her arms wrapped around her from behind kissing her neck. It was a moving photo and I justsatand appreciated how striking Minerva and Bella look like together.

Their black hairs flowing down their backs, the way they touchedcone another left little doubt they were intimately involved. It seemed strange to see Minerva so carefree, she always seemed so together and rigid.

"Look I don't even know what to do with this information, if you can get her over to the good side and she is actually helpful then maybe I can shorten her sentence but if not, if she hurts or kills anyone I know I will kill her myself. Regardless of McGonagall or your own feelings." Harrysatthere and said it so obviously so and Narcissa just nodded.

We had planned to destroy thehorcruxbut realised in all the panic that the Sword was either missing or lying in outside the vault we just robbed. A new game plan was needed and it was yet another obstacle we had to overcome.

"So what good is it if we find the otherhorcruxif we can't destroy it." Draco said so matter of fact and in that moment he had a point but Ron it seemed was determined to prove useful as he smiled.

"Well the Chamber of Secrets has a way of destroying it, the Basilisk Fang! I say we split up and meet once we have both." Harry smiled at him and Draco and Narcissa were confused.

"Ok there is only one problem, you need to be aParselmouthto get into it." Draco smiled again from his mother to both of the boys and I don't know why but I was suspicious, until Narcissa opened her mouth.

"Hashashatha..." Holy shit! How did this woman keep all of her secrets. Harry was shocked and gaped at her, all of the crap he got in second year for having this ability and and he was always somewhat ashamed of it. Narcissa seemed proud to be a Parselmouth and refused to make it into a bad thing.

"I always wondered where I got it from, apparently the Black Family." I nodded at him as we laughed at the way things have ended up. Narcissa and Draco Malfoy Sitting in the side of a mountain waiting to invade Hogwarts.

"Wow, full of surprises you are." Ron was impressed and so we made plans for Ron, Narcissa and I to go and get the fang and Draco and Harry were going to try and break into the Ravenclaw Common Room.

We spent another hour going over the plan and within minutes we had our bags packed and huddled together, this is it, one step closer to the end of Voldemort. If we manage it then hopefully we will be able to sort it out.

"Ok, keep your Galleons and if we get stuck Hermione send me your Patronus I will find you. Take the map and that way you can find me when you get back." I nodded and we stood in a circle and hoped for the best, we were gone almost immediately and came to land in Hogsmeade.

Within seconds ashreechof an alarm went off and panic instantly etched onto our faces, we ran up an alleyway and a door opening behind us jolted me out of my worry and I seriously thought I was hallucinating.

AlbusDumbledorestwin was standing in front of us and directing us into his home and down into a cellar. A broken mirror was in front of me and Harry spotted it before pulling out a shard of glass that fit instantly in the gaping hole of the frame.

"What on earth do you all think you are doing?" He really did look likeDulbledore, then I remembered the book in the bag and recognised his face.

"Your Aberforth aren't you, you sent Dobby to us." This was news to me and the man nodded, Harry and him got into a but of a scuffle when he knew what we were trying to do. A couple of seconds laterandhe had nodded to a portrait behind us and a young girl disappeared from it and all we had to do was wait apparently.

"Good luck Mr Potter, for what it's worth." He gave Draco and Narcissa a suspicious glance and he turned his back to tinker and mess around behind us. Our attention was captured by the young lady in the portrait whom I now know as Ariana Dumbledore came back but someone was with her.

All of us whipped out our wands as the figure got closer and closer and I almost felt like running and hiding again but as the portrait swung open a beat up and disheveled Neville appeared in front of us.

"NEVILLE!" I ran and hugged him so hard I am sure I bruised him! He smiled at is before his gaze landed on Draco and Narcissa and he faltered. He glared at both of them and pulled out his wand and aimed it at them both.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Harry immediately stood in the line of fire for Draco and I stepped protectively in front of Narcissa and he slightly lowered his wand but didn't put it down completely.

"Short story is we got captured by snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. Narcissa helped Hermione and told Bellatrix to stop torturing her, we saved their livesfrom Lucius and they have proven themselves to us." He didn't look convinced and I figured he had a right to be mistrustful bit he must have took us at face value.

"Alright but they are your responsibility, no one is going to trust them after what they did." We all nodded our heads at us before warning Aberforth of more people coming through and we made our way toward Hogwarts. He told us of how theCarrowswere in charge of discipline and how he got the scratches on his face.

I could feel the dementors as I got closer and closer to the school and could not imagine learning anything with the feelings that was coming from the monsters. It was official we were back at Hogwarts, or some sort of version of it anyway. The next few hours and hopefully we will have another Horcrux down, Narcissas hand in mine was enough to calm me down and it was the strength I needed.

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	5. Chapter 5

**_Hey everyone! Thank you for the response to the previous chapter...I am so happy you are enjoying this story. _**

**_Please review and let me know what you think and anything you didn't like. I always welcome constructive criticism...thank you again xox _**

**_Chapter Five_**

Everyone was elated at seeing Harry but once Narcissa and Draco were spotted over two dozen wands of the DA were pointed directly at them. Seamus looked like he would start spitting fire in a second. All of them were worried and I understood that, I would be too if I didn't know any better.

"What are they doing here?" Neville just stood back and didn't do anything to either defend or condemn the two Slytherin in front of them. They all had good reason to be wary but I would be damned if I was going to let these kids treat Narcissa and Draco as if they were Voldemort themselves.

"Look they saved me and have been helping us, there is alot of things you don't know, we came here because there is something hidden in the castle probably belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw that we need to find so...we are going to split up to try and find it." Some of them nodded their heads before Seamus stood forward like a Spy ready for his mission.

"What is it?" We sort of shrugged our shoulders before he then asked us where it was and we knew then our task was much more difficult.

Before we could say anything else Ginny arrived and looked at Harry as if she was seeing a ghost.

"Harry...Hi...umm..." Draco snickered into his hand at Harry's inability to talk to his ex-girlfriend, Ron just punched him and both Narcissa and I kept looking at each other.

"What's going on Ginny?" Neville being the only voice of reason spoke to her and apparently Snape knew what was happening, he knew Harry was here and was calling for all of the students to gather in the Great hall.

We were staying here and waiting on the rest of the order and Harry was infiltrating the Gryffindor House. Someone leant him a cloak and he became mixed into the sea of Red and Gold. I hated not knowing what was going to happen, once everybody left we stayed behind with just Dean, Luna, Ron, Draco, Narcissa and myself.

It took another five minutes when the cavalry all arrived, Kingsley leading them with Remus, Fleur, The Weasleys, Amelia Bones and the two Creevey Brothers. Once they also seen the Two Malfoys their wands also went up except for Fleur and Bill.

The situation was soon explained and they were still distrustful but agreed with our assessment to let them help. We soon all made our way to the Great Hall when I felt the Galleon heat up in my pocket.

"Showtime!" It honestly felt like we were some sort of gang, closing in to the Great hall, the door opened just as Harry was telling Professor Snape there was some weaknesses to his security. The older man looked so torn when everyone stood at the door and the students looked so excited at what was transpiring.

Harry showing up must have lightened spirits because even the students had their wands out prepared to attack at any second.

He pulled his wand out and kept it out although he faltered slightly when Minerva jumped in front of Harry and the Headmaster didn't even fight back, he was just casting shields at the spells the formidable witch was throwing at him. He actually threw a spell out that unintentionally hit the Carrows into the wall and they fell unmoving.

Narcissa locked eyes with Severus and he looked at her and Draco in surprise before catching our entwined hands which I don't even realise I took her hand in mine. I could swear he was smiling at us before he took off and actually morphed and flew out of the window leaving the dead Carrows behind.

Minerva soon got the place to rights before Voldemort could be heard in everyone's head. That's when the shit hit the fan, the Slytherin's were ready to hand Harry to Voldemort on a platter when Draco stood beside him causing Pansy to erupt.

"Since when are you on Potters side?" He didn't justify anyone with a response but quite alot of the Slytherin's backed down when they saw Narcissa also standing there and began talking to them.

"You all have a choice to make! You can stand against the side of the light and fail, or you can join them and save your life. I know the families you all grew up in expect something of you, they might even make their way here with Voldemort!" Hushed whispers erupted at her saying his name and it made me laugh.

"No one will think less of you not wanting to fight your parents, but handing Harry Potter to Voldemort isn't going to do anything but get you crucio'd or werewolf food. Trust me." They all seemed to contemplate for a second when I saw Minerva pulling Harry aside and within minutes the school was abuzz with activities.

Narcissa, Ron and I went to the Chamber of Secrets and Draco and Harry went to Ravenclaw Common Room. I vaguely seen Luna running after them and the teachers and the rest of the order went to help secure the castle. I couldn't even focus on what was going on, all I could do was follow Ron to the entrance.

"It needs to be opened by parseltongue..." Narcissa stepped forward and commanded it to open, she was thoroughly disgusted at the prospect of sliding down a tube so commanded stairs and to our surprise they actually appeared. She looked like a cross between Lara Croft and Joan of Arc in full battle mode as she took us down through the large concrete pipes.

We came to a large door and Ron tempered his way down here pretty well considering he had only been once and it had been five years ago. Once the door swung open I faltered at the Skeleton. It was lying there and it showed exactly what size the beast was when Harry killed.

Narcissa knelt down and pulled a fang from the Basilisk and handed me two or three of them just in case. I pulled out the cup from my bag and Ron smirked and handed me a fang to stab it, I didn't particularly want to but apparently it would empower me.

Narcissa held onto my arm and she didn't notice Ron giving me a knowing look but I did. He didn't look angry or anything just merely lost in thought as he took in our closeness.

"You can do this!" I nodded and steeled my shoulders like the Gryffindor that I am and lifted the fang above the cup, it all happened in seconds, the cup spun out of control, some sort of black substance could be seen trailing across the floor after it and the water in the chamber had a life of its own.

All around us the water flew up and drenched us in the shape of Voldemort, all three of us stood there soaked from top to bottom and they we all started laughing, full on giggle fits on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets. It took a few seconds to catch our breath and reality to set in.

We were amidst a war that we might not survive and we were giggling like hyenas. We had gotten back to normal and made out way back out of thevachber to meet with Harry. Luckily he had given us his map and just as I saw his name it disappeared.

"Room of Requirement...it doesn't show up on the map..." I nodded at Ron and Narcissa was just following us at this point, she was in wistful awe of the castle as we quickly made our way to where we thought Harry and Draco were. So much had happened...we found the Horcrux and destroyed it when Bellatrix confronted us.

"Muddy muddy Mudblood! Why did you have to bring my sister into this! Cissy, couldn't you just be a bored Housewife? You had to rock the boat and run off with Harry Potter and his Crew. Lucius is on the warpath and I won't be able to stop him if you get in the way..." Her eyes were still that empty, cold deathlike stare but as she pleaded with us to leave I spotted Tonks who had her wand trained on Bella.

"Give me one good reason Black!" As Bellatrix seen her niece she rolled her eyes and tried to fight the incarcerous that she was currently stuck in. The young woman's magic was strong as hell that was for sure but Bellatrix just gave Tonks the once over.

"Didn't you just have a baby! Merlin girl...give yourself a day or two..." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bellatrix had managed to get out and she threw something at her, Dora caught it and disappeared from in front of us.

"Where is she?" I was sceptical after all she did torture me and Neville's parents and well I would like to trust her but I can't.

"Safe...along with a couple other people...trust me, the little werewolf isnt gonna grow up without his mummy, I will have to find his daddy though and figure something out for him." This Bellatrix was confusing me, without warning Minerva came around the corner and shot a stunning hex at her ex-lover catching her in the shoulder and she dropped to the ground.

"Damn Minerva...if you wanted me on my back all you had to do was ask." She smirked as the Deputy Headmistress stood over her and pointed her wand at her face, Bellatrix's eyes just roamed over the Duputy Headmistress body before landing on her face and winked.

"Bella...well I would say it's a pleasure but I would be lying..." I had become quite adept at knowing the older womans mannerisms by this stage and as she looked at Bellatrix I could see it...the feelings she had for the younger woman were evident. As I looked at Narcissa and Ron I knew they saw it too.

"Oh come on...didn't you miss me at least a little bit? You look so serious right now, it's such a turn on really. I would give you a Portkey as well as little Nymphadora but I know you would kill me if I made you leave your precious little cubs." Bellatrix looked at her and she looked lucid as she took in the Headmistress.

"Whatever you all have to do to help Mr Potter go on and do it...I have Bellatrix contained..." As we all ran off we would later find out that the two women came to a standstill and Bella trusted the only person she could to inform her of a common friend who would need her help.

We ran toward the Room of Requirement with Narcissas hand in my own again and as Ron got the door to open I could tell Narcissa was shocked that it had changed from the hideaway den the Gryffindors and half bloods had commandeered into a room full of junk.

We ran around like idiots before we found him and Draco being cornered by Lucius Malfoy of all people pointing his wand at Harry and smiling like an idiot.

"Well well well...two birds one stone...I thought for sure that knife would hit one of you" His eyes zeeroed in on Narcissa and Draco and I pulled her behind me watching Harry mirror me with Draco which I thought was strange but didn't think anything more about it as the lunatic in front of us was manic.

"You traitorous bitch! Not only do you defy me wife...but you steal my son...my heir away from me." Narcissa just smirked at her ex-husband and knew in that moment that he had no idea he was divorced and penniless.

"Your heir...I think you have that backwards...don't you mean my heir...after all you put my signature on the accounts at Gringotts. Used my name as a scapegoat in case you got caught by the Ministry and lucky for me...the Goblins were more sympathetic to my cause than to yours. I am no longer your wife...and you no longer have a fortune to pass to your son...I do..." His face turned three different shades of red and then purple.

"Avada Kedavra!" Without warning the spell struck Harry in the chest and as he jumped in front of Narcissa and myself and fell right in front of us. Without warning Draco lifted his wand and knocked out his father and bound him before looking at his mother and then knelt down beside Harry.

"Come on Potter...anytime now!" I was confused and it seemed I wasn't the only one as Ron looked at the Malfoys in similar confusion and then he started crying. There was a part of me that had an inkling that something like this was going to happen and the way Both Draco and Narcissa were looking expectantly at the boy who is probably now a man on the floor.

Harry looked so still and Narcissa didn't know who to look at first, it seems she opted to comfort Ron and Draco much to my surprise was kneeling beside Harry with his hand on his chest. The way he was looking at him would almost make me believe they were lovers but Harry was straight...wasn't he? Was Malfoy?

"Malfoy...take your hand off my chest...I need to sit up and it's hard enough without you leaning down on me." I almost couldn't believe my ears, Harry sat up with the help of Draco and smiled at me and then Ron, both of us ran to him and hugged him with as much strength as we could before I slapped him.

"Blimey Hermione!" I rubbed the tears from my face and tried my best to look upset but his cheesy grin made me want to slap him again.

"Bloody hell mate...you get more lives than a cat!" He smirked again and was helped to his feet by Draco who smiled at him and in his Harry way he looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

"Don't even ask me how that happened because I have no clue..." He looked up to a set of furniture which was piled high and began to climb it, Draco then explained what they had found out about the diadem and how they found it because Lucius ambushed them. Harry jumped back down to the ground with it in his hand and Draco smirked at him and this silent flirtation was confusing me.

"Who wants to do it?" Ron reached a fang out to Draco and he took it shakily in his hand before recieving a nod from Harry and in one sharp crack the Horcrux was destroyed. Harry fell at our feet and it looked like he was fighting ten different versions of himself. Draco knelt beside him and in the most gentlest way I had even seen him he held onto Harry's arm.

"Open yourself up Potter...find the rest...let him in..." He was sweating and thrashing and thirty seconds later he seemed to calm down. My heart broke for my best friend who was practically clinging to Draco in that moment.

"The Snake...she's the last one...and then if we kill him that's it." We all nodded at him and within seconds he was back on his feet looking slightly shaky and the five of us were looking at each other when the ghostly voice of Voldemort invaded our heads.

"Retreat...I am ordering my forces to retreat...you all in the castle should be proud, you have fought Valiently, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter you have one hour to present yourself in the courtyard of Hogwarts. I will kill every man, woman and child to get to you, don't make the mistake of letting any more of them die for you..." He was gone and the warmth of Narcissas hand in my own was giving me enough warmth.

"We should go and help...the last I saw it was crazy...the fighting was mad...I saw some things in my head just now. I think Snape is dead, Voldemort he crucio'd Bellatrix. He's unhinging and taking down everyone in his path, we need to find that Snake." We all agreed and made our way out of the Room of Requirement.

Deciding to leave Lucius Malfoy in the room of requirement in a cage we made our way out of the room and the hallways were silent and still, there was no ghosts or portraits and I had never felt everything so empty. Once we made it to the main entrance hall I saw Amelia Bones standing with Kingsley beside some of the captured Death Eaters who were bound and gagged.

Bodies had littered the floor of the Great Hall and Ron walked over to his family and from here I could see Fred and Percy Weasley lying motionless on the ground, beside us I saw Remus Lupin lying also dead along with so many more people I had spent six years going to school with.

The death toll was too much, too high, Minerva was standing with a large gash on her head and was currently comforting some of the younger students.

"Why are they walking around? They should be put in the corner with the other terrorists!" Cormac McLaggan pointed his wand at Narcissa and Draco and quote alot of people who were grieving stopped and looked at the scene that this idiot was creating.

"Look stop! Narcissa and Draco helped us ok! They are not the enemy here, leave them alone or you will have a problem with me." Harry always did have that commanding voice and everyone just shrugged at him and went back to whatever.

"Potter...I was told to give this to you...it's from Severus...I think you should take it to the headmasters office and watch it." He nodded and thanked the older woman before looking at the vial of silvery, wispy material and we knew it was memories.

"Ok let's go..." Ron decided to stay with his family but Neville, Draco, Narcissa and I left to go and watch it. It felt weird invading Snape's privacy like this but it must be useful if he gave it to Bella, was the potions master dead? Gosh there was so many unanswered questions.

"Harry!" Ginny came up behind us and both Harry and her walked away from us slightly and both of them looked older than their years and they ended their conversation with a hug instead of a kiss and I knew what had happened. When he walked over to me I placed my hand on his arm and tried to comfort him.

He just smiled and we made our way up to the headmasters office, the gargoyle opened and moved of its own accord and the office hadn't changed. It seemed Snape couldn't bring himself to change any of it, to the left of his desk the portrait of Albus Dumbledore sat and he beamed down at Harry and a true look of surprise at Draco and Narcissa being with us was plastered on his face.

A small cupboard opened and almost as if it knew we needed it, a pensieve appeared and stopped in front of Harry. As he poured the memory in we all went in after him and it shocked me to see what I could see.

A young Snape with Harry's mum, the years progressed as their friendship grew, their fight, Snape's involvement in Voldemorts crew, memory after memory which surprised us all. Bellatrix must have provided Snape with some revelations also.

As we came out of the memories I saw Harry who was on the verge of tears, all of these years Snape was helping us because he loved Lily Potter. He was more of a hero than all of us put together, although it angered me that Dumbledore had orchestrated this whole thing I understood.

"I don't even know what to do with this information, I was a horcrux, does that mean when Lucius hit me with the killing curse earlier it was destroyed?" In all honesty I didn't know the answer to that question, Narcissa seemed to be in shock and in wonder of her sister.

Bellatrix kept the Longbottoms in a sleep like state while torturing them and had the spell to awaken them, she didn't count on getting arrested once Voldemort was defeated and couldn't do anything to fix them. I could see Neville's mind going a mile a minute because of all of the revelations.

Bellatrix was on our side? Sort of? The compulsion of the Dark Mark made her a little bit loony tunes and made it harder to resist, the effects of the dementors also took some of her memories away and made it harder to resist the dark lords torturous mark.

"I know how you survived the killing curse, it probably had to do with your house ring, in the first twenty four hours of taking up a lordship the ring acts as a protector from usurpers...you are going to have to take it off..." We all knew exactly what he was going to do and Harry even knew, he was gonna have to die. My best friend had a horcrux in his head.

"I think I always knew, I think you did too Hermione, it's ok. I have to do this." I held onto him with all of my strength and cried, Narcissa was holding onto Draco and Neville looked punched in the stomach.

"I will stand with you..." He nodded his head at her and pulled back to give her the most serious look he had ever given her.

"The task isn't over. The snake needs to be killed, or all of this will be for nothing. Promise me that you will do this? Part of me needs you beside me but the other part of me doesn't want you to see me die." I could only nod at him and he nodded to us all and led us from the room knowing our task was far from finished and that he might not get to see the end of it.

As we walked down to the Great hall it was quiet again as people sipped on tea I realised the hour was almost up. He slowly moved ahead of us and made his way to the courtyard, people began to notice him and walked with him. We stood behind him and I know this was going to hit everyone with so much dispair.

The Weasleys and the remainder of the Order stood behind us and I saw Voldemort and his followers walking over the bridge with Bellatrix at the forefront dancing and skipping and gripping her arm, once she looked up and seen her sister and Minerva she faltered.

Voldemort didn't realise because he had only eyes for Harry, Bellatrix looked at us both and nodded before trying to act the same way but I could tell it was forced. Once they arrived in the courtyard I saw Voldemort smile at Harry who was now ringless and had given it to me for safe keeping.

"Well, well, well...Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived has come to die." I knew it was true and so did Narcissa, Draco and Neville but no one else did and I didn't want to watch what was going to come next. Nagini was slithered around the feet of her Master and I was trying to come up with ways to separate her from her master.

"Any last words..." People were gasping and shouting for Harry to lift up his wand, Mrs Weasley was crying when he didn't move to defend himself and he just looked around at us all.

"I love you...all of you." I nodded at him and Narcissa held onto my hand in moral support. In one fell swoop Voldemort held up his wand and the tears were streaming from my face at this point.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Screams were echoing and people had collapsed, I saw Draco out of the corner of my eye almost crying, Mrs Weasleys was on her knees along with Ron. Neville was looking at the snake and pulled something out of his pocket and I knew it was Harrys invisibility cloak.

Voldemort was thrown back also and lay seemingly unmoving across the courtyard, it took him a couple seconds but he got up and Harry stayed down on the courtyard. He urged Bellatrix to go and check and as she sauntered up beside Harry she checked on him and looked up and us and smirked before looking round to Voldemort and nodding.

"Harry Potter is dead! HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!" Every death eater cheered including Bellatrix and although I knew technically she was on his side I felt that she wasnt. She looked at me and slammed into my head as quickly as I could breathe and having little to no interaction with Ligilimency it was rather strange to hear someone else talking in my head.

"It's alright little Mudblood...he will wake up in a second..." That was news to me, Harry was going to wake up? She giggled and blew a kiss at me before Voldemort gave some cockamamie speech about joining him and Neville stepped forward with the sorting hat and I never knew he could be so moving.

Within seconds chaos rained throughout the courtyard and he pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor and Harry grappled up off the ground making everyone take a new lease of life in their fight.

Spells flew, Voldemort and Harry battled but I only had eyes for that damn snake, it slithered away into the castle and I pulled Neville with me along with Narcissa. Draco was helping McGonagall and Molly Weasley fight against the Death Eaters.

Flashes of light flew from one end of the castle to another and I couldn't even think about what the others were doing, I had one goal in mind and that was to kill the beast of a snake.

"Neville we need to kill the snake, do not lose that sword and if you get a chance take it." I handed Narcissa a fang and took one myself and tried to corner the thing, it soon turned on us and a spell ricocheted of my fang making me drop it and also Narcissas fang was lost by a piece of rubble hitting her arm.

We ended up running into one another at speed and hit the ground with a huge python following us and so trying to grapple up we ran as fast as our legs could carry us.

I could vaguely see Neville coming behind it and in one fell swoop the snake was dead...Neville stood in shock at the headless beast.

I stood in shock also, as I looked at Narcissa she met my eye and knelt down to kiss me which shocked him even more. He immediately looked anywhere but at us, I was in a daze and threw my arms around her and kissed her back.

"Oh dear...what do we have here? A Mudblood and a blood traitor!" Rodolphus Lestrange was a short man with black hair and a goatee, he was anything but attractive and instantly he gripped his forearm and the dark mark faded before our very eyes. Voldemort was dead, but was Harry alive.

"Bansos locatana!" As the curse came flying toward us a body appeared out of nowhere and Bellatrix fell screaming in agony! I quickly shot off a stunner and bound him before taking his wand looking down at the woman who was writhing on the ground, Neville ran to try and get help from anyone.

"What can I do?" Narcissa was muttering what appeared to be a counter spell on her sister and asked for my bag, she pulled out a mandrake leaf and forced it into her sisters mouth and some essence of dittany before continuing muttering and the thrashing died down but she was still in a lot of pain.

"What happened?" Minerva appeared in that moment and knelt down beside her former lover, the younger woman managed a weak smile and lifted up her arm.

"I'm free Min! He's gone!" She lifted her wand and pulled a memory from her mind before asking me for a vial.

"Give this to Longbottom! Trust me Mudblood!" There was no malice in her words as she said it and pulled my arm towards her and weakly rolled up my sleeve before pulling it down to her lips. Right where she carved Mudblood into my arm she kissed it and muttered three words I couldn't make out and the words dissapeared.

"I'm sorry..." She looked at Minerva McGonagall and pulled her down for a kiss that made me feel hot under the collar at seeing my Headmistress in that position.

"I love you Min...don't forget about Sev..." She nodded and Narcissa put her in stasis before levitating her up and standing beside us.

"I have to get her to Poppy...I know they will want her executed but I have to save her life for her to stand on trial..." I nodded and she kissed me again causing the eyebrows on Minerva's eyes to fly up.

"Don't run off! I want to talk." I shook my head and smiled before kissing her one last time and she left with Bellatrix floating behind her at a fast pace to find the mediwitch.

"I go for a black sister younger than me and you go for one older? There is a book idea in there somewhere!" I smiled and threw my arms around the woman who I called a mentor of sorts. I had nothing but respect for her and was so grateful she was alive.

"I still can't believe you and Bellatrix Lestrange were an item..." She laughed slightly and nodded her head at me and I am glad she feels comfortable enough around me to be this way.

"Well she was Bellatrix Black when we were together and then she got married and we continued talking for a while and even met up a few times over the years but once she joined Voldemort not of her own free will by the way I ended it." I nodded but knew she had always loved her.

"I'm sorry...your love story seems unfair to end the way I think it's going to." She nodded and although Bella helped in the end she has a stack of crimes she has to account for, first of which is killing Sirius. We walked back towards the great hall and I seen Harry talking to Draco.

"HARRY!" Both boys jumped apart and I could swear I seen a blush but didn't think anything of it and just ran to my best friend, he was alive. I threw my arms around him and I couldn't help but feel so blessed in that moment and also hugged Draco.

"I am so glad your ok! Where is Ron and Narcissa?" I didn't know where Ron was but I told them what happened and it seemed to make Harry even more conflicted. Soft pops could be heard behind us and I saw Tonks, Baby Teddy, Andromeda and Severus Snape standing In front of us. Little did I know there were more revelations to come.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hey everyone, sorry for the delayed posting, even though it is bad news it is really good news because I have been writing constantly so there is plenty upcoming! Please continue reviewing and I will continue posting!**_

Chapter Six

As soon as I seen Tonks I ran to her and threw my arms around her, the three week old baby boy was strapped in a sling sound asleep and it was then I remembered Remus lying on the floor of the Great Hall. Andromeda smiled at me and then Minerva who she gave a hug too as if it was second nature to them. Silence echoed throughout the hallways before Severus Snape stepped forward to me.

"Miss Granger, where is Kingsley Shacklebolt?" Andromeda snapped her head up at the man who looked like he was on a mission. Considerinthe hooked nosed Professor was in the company of Andromeda and Tonks I can only guess he is in actual fact on our side.

"Severus do be reasonable, I am not going to let you do this! Not three hours ago you nearly died because of that blasted snake, I didn't put you back together just for you to hand yourself in like a criminal and waste away in Azkaban! You are a hero Severus." I jumped my head up to him and he glared at the older woman who it seems was just like Narcissa and not easy to intimidate.

"Andromeda, think of the night you have had, your long, lost, lunatic sister puts a Stasis Charm on me just as the snake has bitten me. I was dying and then she asks you to save my life. You have done so, thank you and now I am all whole and healed thanks to your epic medical powers but now I will do the right thing." Both myself and Minerva stood in front of the man in question and now he was infuriated even more. The transfiguration Professor was terrifying at the best of times but right now she was livid, she had drawn her wand to the Potions Professor in front of everyone and I know she was guilty.

"Minerva, Miss Granger, please move your persons and let me do the right thing for once..." I held my hand up to get him to stop talking and it seemed to shock him, I don't think he was prepared for me to talk back to him. I had spent Seven years being intimidated by him and now he looked so broken, knowing his story with Lily Potter made me not only appreciate him more but also feel sorry for him. He spent years in love with her and she died leaving a hole in his heart. I couldn't help myself, all of my emotions were fluxtuating and I couldn't help but unleash it all on him.

"No! You have been doing the right thing for sixteen years, you have been protecting Harry and by extension Ron and I for our entire Hogwarts career. You have had your life put on hold since you were a young man and you sent us the sword after tricking Bellatrix..." He too held his hand up and I could practically see everyone was so amused watching us in our battle of wills.

"Who as it turned out didn't need tricking just talking to...Bellatrix will need to answer for what she has done and I have done despicable things that would make some people faint, so please Miss Granger don't make the mistake of thinking a few good deeds makes up for a lifetime of wickedness." He went to move and I stood in front of him again.

"Bellatrix is fighting for her life after jumping in front of some sort of hex that was meant for Narciisa, it made her insides come to the outside. Narcissa and Poppy are doing what they can but it doesn't look good. I realisec that both you and her have something in common. You have people who care, don't rub that in their face by doing this. At least fight for your freedom, don't surrender to your imprisonment." He sighed and pinched his nose before glaring at me.

"You always were such a bleeding heart Miss Granger. What happened to Bellatrix? Where is she? Not too mention I am sure Nymphadora would like to see her husband." I nodded and Minerva took it upon herself to tell Tonks about what happened to Remus and she broke. The woman was in bits and I couldn't blame her, the romance of Tonks and Lupin was one for the ages.

"I need to see him. Please?" I agreed to go with Tonks and Severus when Minerva offered to take Andromeda to the hospital Wing. She was going to go with her daughter but the young mother insisted she talk to her sisters. Getting closer and closer to the Great Hall the noise grew, the first thing I noticed was that there was significantly less people present and bodies. Apparently they had been moved to a room off the Hall allowing everyone to fit and come together.

"Tonks..." Harry with Draco again came over to her and hugged her before breaking down to cry. Little Teddy was starting to stir and she asked Harry to keep him so she could spend some time with Remus. All it took was ten minutes before he gave up on trying to strap the sling and just decided to carry him without it.

"I know I need sleep and food but I can't bring myself to do any of it." Draco stood up and smiled at me before offering to go and get me something. Who is this man? Where is the Pompous Slytherin Ferret we all knew?

"Draco it's fine honestly." He shook his head and left to go fetch me something leaving me alone with Harry. I turned to see my best friend following Draco from the room and nudged his shoulder.

"Alright spill!" He flushed and looked around the room to ensure there was no one around before looking at me.

"What do you mean?" I gave him a look that I hoped conveyed the don't bullshit me look and he just ducked his head down to the ground.

"I don't know Hermione, I want to get to know him. Maybe be his friend, he is a ferret after all. Don't tell Ron, I don't think he would take this very well." I nodded before I decided to let it go for now and leave him to it. He glanced at me and waggled his eyebrows in that moment.

"Besides at least Draco is my own age, the hand holding and flirting between yourself and Narcissa is almost too much to bear." I could tell my blush had reached epic proportions but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"It's very new, I don't really know what to say about that except for the fact that it's a new development that has been happening since we landed in Malfoy Manor." He nodded and we left each other to our own thoughts as Draco came back with food for all of us and we are in a comfortable silence. Tonks came out with her face red rimmed and Harry handed her baby Teddy back before she sat down and strapped up the cloth sling letting him get comfortable again against his mothers chest.

She didn't say anything and just accepted the goblet of Pumpkin juice and toast before announcing she was going to go up to the infirmary and check on her mother. I decided to go up with her and Harry stayed behind to talk to Kingsley and Severus who were standing across the hall getting statements from the Death Eaters.

Severus had already been pardoned by Harry along with Draco, Narcissa and for now Bellatrix. Once the latter was feeling better and recovered she would have to stand trial but Harry vowed to help her out. As I walked with Tonks it really impressed me to see how strong she was being, she just lost her husband in a war and she was the epitome of grace and I now know where she gets that from.

Narcissa carries herself the same way and for all of these years Tonks had been separated from her haughty side of the family and yet it was definitely Narcissas walk. Once we reached the infirmary doors I could see her take a deep breath and square her shoulders before pushing the door open and walking in. Surprisingly it was almost empty, Bellatrix was settled in a bed at the far end of the room.

Andromeda and Narcissa sat on either side of the bed as Madam Pomfry flitted from bed to bed applying things and casting diagnostics to other patients. Quite a lot of more serious injuries must have been taken to St Mungos as the Wing was practically empty save five beds.

"Ah Miss Granger, Mrs Lupin, I am sorry for your loss...Mr Lupin and both Mr Weasleys will be missed." I nodded and thanked her before making my way to the end of the room and placed my hand on Narcissas shoulder. This snapped her out of whatever shock endured daze she was in and she looked up at me and smiled before placing a hand over my own. I took a seat on a chair beside her and saw Tonks do the same.

As I looked at Bellatrix I saw her skin was deathly pale, almost grey, she had what looked like an IV going from her arm into Andromeda's and blood travelling through it which surprised me, Andromeda was willingly saving the life of her sister who was a bitch her whole life. Although the raving lunatic did save her daughters life so maybe this is the trade off.

"How is she?" Both women nodded and shook their heads with an almost identical expression to one another and I could tell it was a Black family trait because Sirius used to do the same.

"She lost a lot of blood, Poppy was doing everything she could when Andi suggested an IV line and a Blood Transfusion? Apparently she is O something or other, universal donor?" I could tell she was confused by it all but grateful at the same time that she would get some answers from Bellatrix.

"She will wake up soon, she is out of the woods, the internal bleeding has stopped, the wound has knitted together but she won't be playing any Quidditch Games any time soon but she will live." I thanked Poppy as she checked on everything before heading to the desk at the top of the room.

We all just sat for another ten minutes before a tray of tea, sandwiches and little chocolate chip cookies appeared on the table beside us. Little Teddy took that moment to wake up and as he opened his eyes they flashed three different colours before landing on Green like his father. She pulled out his nappy bag and enlarged it before Poppy directed her to a free bed beside her aunt and she set out a blanket and lay him down on it before changing his nappy.

After he was cleaned a softer rocking chair appeared in the place of her old seat and the little elves must have known what was coming next. As she sat down and proceeded to feed him I couldn't take my eyes away from him and his mother. It was always such a beautiful sight to see, a mother giving her child her own lifeforce was incredible to me. He was a beautiful baby and the fact that he wasn't even a month old and showing his Metamorphic abilities already was astounding. I could see Narcissa look at her young niece fondly before meeting her gaze.

"He is a natural at that...it was such a difficult pregnancy and birth with Draco that by the time it came to breastfeeding he wasn't having any of it. Took me weeks to just call it a day and magically express it for him and feed him with a bottle." Tonks laughed at Narcissa before looking at her baby boy and stroked the back of his head. Another half an hour later and a small groan erupted from the bed and her finger twitched. Everyone tensed as we seemed to be expecting the crazy bitch to jump up and hex us.

"Bella?" Andi looked slightly terrified and yet full of hope as the older witch opened her eyes and tried to take in her surroundings, her eyes landed on my own first and she smiled a huge broad smile that I noticed was half fixed. Poppy must have cleaned and polished her teeth magically as her smile looked beautiful.

"Hello Muddy..." I couldn't help but smile back at her and she reached for my hand, I don't know why but I took it and she pulled me close to her and held onto my face.

"Thank you for keeping my sister safe..." I nodded my head at her and she noticed Narcissa sitting beside me and she almost cried. I could see Narcissas eyes fill up with tears and I stepped back to give them space.

"Cissy!" She threw her arms around her big sister and both of them just took a moment to take comfort in the fact that they were alive.

"Why did you jump in front of that curse Bella? Why did you do that? You could have died! You almost did!" Bella pulled back from her baby sister and held onto her cheek in the most affectionate way.

"Rather I die than you my darling, you have so much to give, I have sins I have to atone for." I never thought I would see Bellatrix Lestrange crying over anyone never mind her sister but here she was openly showing her emotions in front of us all.

"Bella..." Andromeda's voice cracked slightly as she said her older sisters name, and Bellatrix looked at her and then at Nymphadora before smiling again.

"Hello Sister...long time no see..." Andi took her sisters hand in her own and kissed it, twenty something years of pent up emotions came flooding out and both women were a mess.

"Thank You for saving my daughter, I can never repay you..." Bella shook her head and held onto her sister and noticed the little bundle wrapped in his mothers chest.

"Little Wolf deserves his mother doesn't he, I am surprised big wolf isn't here too, is he being heroic and stubborn again? Hexed me good when I got him out." Dora started crying and I just put my hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her. Bella was confused and she looked at Andi who just shook her head.

"Remus didn't make it." Bellatrix laughed and just when I wanted to slap her she shook her own head and looked at the women in the room.

"No...he did...I gave him a Portkey...he is in the House in Charles Street. He is unconscious, he gave me a bit of fight and McNair knocked him out, he was about to kill him when I hit him with a stunner and Port-keyed Remus out Of there." None of us knew what to say, if she saved Remus then who was lying in the Great Hall?

"I don't understand, if your here and Severus I am assuming came back with you then Remus's Portkey should have been activated also." All of us didn't want to believe that Remus was alive. No one said anything more for another few minutes before the door swung open and Harry, Kingsley and Minerva walked into the room with two bodies floating behind them.

"Can someone explain to me why I have a dead Remus Lupin and an Alive but unconscious Remus Lupin?" Dora's eyes lit up and passed the baby to Narcissa before following over to the opposite bed to see what was going on. Both men were set in beds beside one another and Andromeda helped Bellatrix sit up in that moment. Both Remus's looked vastly different, One was unconscious and the other was clearly dead.

"Now what? What could cause a person to look like someone else? I want to apologise if this is crude but, either the dead man is Remus Lupin and the one who is alive has taken I dunno, Polyjuice or vice versa..." All of us looked at Bellatrix including Minerva who rolled her eyes at her ex lover and her lack of tact and matter of fact tone.

"Bellatrix Lestrange, you are under arrest for crimes committed against the Ministry of Magic, your full list of charges will be mentioned at your hearing. At this time once you have fully recovered you will be transferred to the holding cells at the Ministry and your trial will get a set date." Everyone kept shouting at Kingsley and telling him what she had done, the woman in question just sat there and took it.

"Mr Shacklebolt, one crisis at a time ok!" Minerva just winked at Bellatrix Lestrange behind the minister of magics back to which I found hilarious for some reason, so did Bellatrix who was trying to hide her sniggers behind her hand.

"Of course Headmistress..." We stood next to the two men as if expecting something to happen and Narcissa just rolled her eyes and took out her wand before aiming it at the unconscious man.

"Honestly, for someone who is going to be the next minister of magic you sure are slow." She stood above him and whispered an incantation under her breath.

"Noxum barathis!" Damn these purebloods and their hidden knowledge, I had not read that spell do it was either something unknown to me, family magic or dark magic. The unconscious man remained unchanged and she did the same thing with the dead man and slowly his features started to change and within five seconds the man who was Remus Lupin a second ago was now Walden MacNair.

"What was that spell? I have never heard of it before." Narcissa looked at me before smiling and shaking her head at my overenthusiastic need to know everything.

"That's because your pure and innocent Hermione, I however am a dark witch and it was a spell from the Black Family Grimoire. After Auntie Walburga died I was left in charge of the Grimoire." It filled me with a sense of uneasiness to see her address herself as a Dark Witch. I knew it was true of course but to hear her say it was strange.

In the end the spell working meant one thing and one thing only, Remus was alive, although both Poppy, Narcissa and I tried a few spells to try and waken him and nothing worked. After two hours Tonks was just glad he was alive and she vowed she wouldn't be without him and would figure out a way to wake him up.

"I think we should all get some sleep and a shower." Tonks refused to leave Remus and Bellatrix was being kept another week before being transferred. Andromeda decided to stay with her sister and daughter letting Narcissa and Hermione leave with Harry.

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	7. Chapter 7

_**Hey everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who left me a little review for the last Chapter...I appreciate it. So this is Chapter Seven, I hope everyone is enjoying it...please let me know what you think by leaving me a little review. Loving writing this story at the moment so please continue to read and enjoy with me.**_

Chapter Seven

Walking through the castle when it was in the state it was made me feel sad, the large columns of stone were reduced to rubble, stairs were missing pieces in places that made me wonder how they stayed up never mind still moved. Walking beside Harry and Narcissa was comforting though, the past twenty four hours was frightening, Harry died and came back to life twice thanks to a magic ring and minus a Horcrux in his head. I had no idea where to go and sleep, Harry wanted to go to the Gryffindor common room but that seemed too crowded.

"Go on ahead Harry, I think I might find somewhere else..." He looked between Narcissa and I before nodding his head in understanding and he broke away from us to head in the direction of the only place he wanted comfort from. Narcissa turned to look at me almost expecting me to leave her alone.

"You can go with Mr Potter if you want, I promise I wouldn't be offended. I can just go and sleep in the hospital Wing..." I shook my head at her before taking her hand and turning to face her with a smile as I had a brainwave. There was nowhere I would rather be than with her at this present moment.

"Do you trust me?" She nodded her head at me and smiled before I pulled her down in the opposite direction of both the Gryffindor and Slytherin Common rooms. I had only been here once before and that was when I got lost, I only hoped I remembered how to get there.

"Hermione, where are you taking me?" We climbed higher and higher until we came to a portrait that was empty. The portrait swung open and I walked into a large room with two chairs and a combination of all house colours decorating it. Surprisingly it was empty and out of habit I put up a privacy ward around the room and Narcissa looked around in surprise before shaking her head at me and throwing her hands up.

"Ok, I give up...it's not very often I don't know where I am in Hogwarts. You already thrown me for a loop with the Room of Requirement. Tell me, where are we?" I smiled at her and took her by the hand again to go into a bathroom that had two separate showers.

"This is the quarters that the head boy and girl share in their seventh year, I already know that Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini have gone home. So it's ours for a while, I figured you walking into the Gryffindor common room would be a bit like me walking into the Slytherin One." She smiled before lifting out her wand and waving it allowing the water to start to run.

Four towels appeared and I lifted out her bag with her things in it from my own, there was a door separating both showers and I suddenly felt nervous. I don't know why?

It's not like we were going to be sharing a shower, I know we have a lot to talk about and so I just gave her a smile and watched as she removed the clip holding her long two-toned hair in place. As it fell down her back I was shocked by how long it was. I had seen it before but usually in a braid when she was sleeping, seeing it sit loose down her back, long and straight gave me a deep sense of hair envy. She had a cut on her lip along with on her cheek and I could see she favoured her right side and I walked toward her just as she removed that blasted leather jacket that made her look like some sort of GI Jane.

"Did you hurt yourself?" She looked up surprised at my proximity before my hand reached for her black top and slowly pulled it up and I saw a nasty bruise along her ribs. I tried to think throughout the night when she could have got that and my mind came up blank, all I wanted was to reach down and kiss it better like my mother used to do for me but was that weird? I had found myself reevaluating what is weird and what isn't these days.

"I'm alright, I have had worse...I have it covered I promise don't worry." She pulled out a tub of what looked like bruise paste and held it up to my face. It felt oddly intimate and I was about to kiss her when she stood back and made her way to the shower with her bag and towels also. I didn't really know what to think of that, did she regret our kiss now that the war was over, was I just perhaps something to keep her from getting bored. She said it herself, she was a dark witch and it filled me with fear to think that she was just toying with my emotions all this time.

That couldn't be it, could it? We shared so much over the past few weeks it felt real. I tried to break myself out of my thoughts as I knew I couldn't answer them all until I spoke to her. I grabbed a pair of pyjama bottoms, tank top and underwear before grabbing my towels and making my way towards the shower beside her. The steam was rising now and as I opened the door I was welcomed to the scent of Lavender and Vanilla, the house elves must have left out soap for us also.

I hung my bag and towels on the two hooks at the back of the door and placed my wand in the holder attached to the wall. As I looked around at the space, the black wall tiles were a contrast to the white floor tiles. It was beautiful and in complete contrast to the blood and grime falling from my body as soon as I stepped under the shower head.

The water cascading down my back felt purifying, the past year, no the past four years had almost been washed away and all that was left was pain. Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Moody, Fred and Percy. There was too many names and I couldn't bear the thought of everything that had happened for another second and so I cried.

I cried for my parents who were somewhere in Australia not even knowing they had a daughter, I cried for the Weasleys who had lost not one but two children. I cried for Tonks who had her husband back but couldn't wake him. Too much had happened, too much pain and sorrow for anyone to handle but we will have to.

Voldemort is gone, against all odds Harry beat him and his soul shards, he is gone never to return again. I scrubbed at every inch of my body and it still felt unclean. The flannel running down my arm where the scar used to be made me falter. It seems all of these years Bellatrix was trying to be good, she was trying to help but alas that was not going to be enough I don't think.

The name Bellatrix Lestrange strikes fear in people's hearts, there was no way the Wizarding public were going to get behind her and let her integrate into society, she would go to Azkaban and that didn't sit right with me. I have to help her but for now I am unsure how, luckily she gets to stay in the Hospital Wing for another week before she was to be transferred to the Ministry cells for her trial. I was broken out of my musings by a small tentative knock on the door.

"Hermione are you Ok?" I blushed and nodded at the outline I could see outside the door, Narcissa. She was finished and waiting while I just sat here waffling internally to myself.

"Yeah, I will be out in a second." I had noticed her silhouette move away from the door and the water in my shower had run clear. I tapped it with my wand and cast a drying Charm on my body before tying my hair up in a hair tie and making my way out to Narcissa.

She wasn't anywhere to be seen but as I walked into the lounge again to see the elves had cleaned up slightly knowing this room was now occupied for the evening. She sat on one of the chairs sipping on a cup of tea looking every bit the aristocratic housewife I know she used to be. She had a book in front of her and from the angle I couldn't see the title, her long hair was lying dry down her back and she had on a black silk and lace nightdress along with a silk dressing down and I think she looked stunning.

"Are you going to come and sit down? Or continue to stare all night?" I jumped when she turned to me with her smirk well and truly in place. I walked over just as she poured me a cup of tea and I got a waft of Cherries and Vanilla as she bent forward along with a generous helping of cleavage.

"Where the hell did you pull that nightdress from?" In our time at Shell Cottage I had never seen it but it didn't surprise me that this was her usual attire, she exuded confidence and grace so delicate sleepwear was so Narcissa.

"When Dobby went to get some of my things he picked up some of my favourites. I have a few that I always wear and this just happens to be one." I blushed as she held onto the sash on her dressing gown and looked dead on my eye. I took a sip of my tea and we sat in silence neither one of us willing to say anything. I needed to say something but I couldn't get the words out but it seems neither could she. It took me twenty minutes to try and figure out a way to talk to her.

"Umm...I think we need to talk." Riveting as always Hermione, she looked at me and that aloof features came over her and it made me a little mad that she was being so detached about this.

"I know, look Hermione I understand your reservations after all I am twice your age, a divorcee and have more baggage than can fill a Gringotts Vault. I am giving you an out, you are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Don't encumber yourself with an old woman..." She stood up almost as if I were dismissed and went to leave.

"Don't I get a say in this? I want it all Narcissa, all of the baggage and all of you, you don't need to pull away from me." She faltered a step before looking back at me and sighing.

"Hermione, be realistic, you can have a life and a family with someone who isn't an old maid, I look at Minerva and my sister and as beautiful and romantic as it is, it reminds me of our own situation. I am so much older than you like Minerva is in comparison to Bella. Eventually that will show and people will wonder if I am your mother which I am old enough to be." I shook my head and crossed the room to get to her and took her hands on mine.

"I know everything has been heightened, I know our relationship is going to be unconventional but none of that makes me not want to try. I have never had someone who fills me with so much energy and passion. Who makes me feel so many different emotions when I am around them. Tell me, are you trying to sabotage this because you don't want me? Or because your scared of it?" She refuses to meet my eyes and instead pulled away from me and walked up the stairs and I followed. She walked into a room that had a large double bed all made up with beautiful silk sheets and sat on the edge of the bed looking at her feet.

"My marriage as you know was not romantic, I have never felt passion with Lucius ever, and in our short time together I felt passion, excitement and if I'm being honest with myself I know what I want. Is it selfish? Yes. Is it proper? No. I cannot help feeling how I do, but you have ignited something within me Hermione Granger and I shouldn't want it but I do." That was all I needed to hear and I slowly made my way over to where she sat and knelt down on the floor in front of her and took her hands on my own.

"That that's all I need to know, I know this will be difficult to adjust to, it is for me, my lack of experience for one..." She shook her head at me and I just stopped her to let me finish.

"No just let me finish, I am not some blushing virgin but, I have never been with a woman before. You were married for a long time and I was the privilege of your first kiss..." She blushed at me before smiling and I tucked a stray lock of long dark hair behind her ear.

"This will be a new experience for both of us, we don't have to rush, we don't have to tell anyone until we know we want to, most importantly we can not stop talking. We cannot assume we know what the other one is thinking. I want to be someone you confide in, nothing is too small to warrant a conversation ok?" She nodded her head to me and surprised me by leaning down and capturing my lips in hers and pulling me up to my feet without letting go of my lips.

"Yes to everything, taking it slow is good. There is a small problem however, I could still be put on trial" I smiled at her and kissed her back before stepping back from her lips and looked toward the bed.

"Actually Harry has already sorted it, he vouched for you and Draco, he tried to do the same for Bellatrix but she is still crimes to account for. Look all of this is irrelevant, now we need sleep, all of it can be for tomorrow to deal with." She nodded her head at me and we walked to one side of the bed each, it was instinctive for her to walk to the left and I to walk to the right. She untied the sash around her dressing gown and slid in under the covers and I followed suit.

Both of us got comfortable before she held onto my hand and pulled my body closer to hers. My legs wrapped around hers and one of my arms went under her head and the other rested over her hips.

"Goodnight Hermione..." She kissed me with the hugest grin on her face and pulled back to what was probably an equally impressive smile on my own face.

"Good Narcissa..." Her eyes closed and as the lights dimmed I fell asleep to the sound of her breath, inherently thankful that Bellatrix jumped in front of that curse, also how I have only been around her for a short period of time but I honestly think I am falling in love with this beautiful dark witch and it was both terrifying and exhilarating. Again that was tomorrow's problem.

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I didn't know how long I was asleep for but when I woke up the smell of Cherries and Vanilla greeted my senses and roused my eyes open. She was lying on her side turned away from me with her long hair cascading down her pillow to trail down and behind her like a halo. Her back was to me and I noticed a few scars that concerned me but I know she has had a tough past with Lucius and so I would never ask her about them.

As if they had a mind of their own my fingers reached out and trailed down the length of the scar that trailed from her neck to the middle of her back. I could feel her tense under me which let me know she was awake, I couldn't help myself. I leant forward and pressed a kiss to the mark before she turned around to look at me.

"Good morning..." She smiled and leant down to kiss me and she looked stunning. I had seen her first thing in the morning of course but not this close. Her skin was radiant and there was tiny lines at the corner of her eyes and the whitest teeth I had ever seen.

"Are you quite done Miss Granger?" I blushed at being caught ogling her like a Neanderthal. She just smirked and kissed me again, I could get used to it.

"So what's on the agenda?" I shrugged my shoulders at her before creating a mental check list.

"Well defend Bella, wake Remus and go to Australia to try and find my parents." She was confused by that last one and I realised then that I didn't tell her about my parents.

"What on earth do you mean?" We both sat ourselves up against the headboard of the large bed with our pillows behind us and I proceeded to tell her of how I sent them away for their own protection.

"You didn't even give them the chance to choose Hermione, I understand your reasoning but they are your parents. If Draco did anything like that to me I would be furious, you took away their choice in the matter." I knew she was right but there was a part of me that didn't want to hear it.

"This is my world, I was Harry Potters best friend and the target on my parents back would be huge. Whether it was morally the right decision or not I don't know. All I know is that they are safe in Australia living their life instead of tortured and killed by Voldemort's lackeys." She flinched slightly at my tone and I couldn't help but feel like I went too far.

"I'm sorry if I offended you Hermione, I have no say how you live your life but I am just thinking from a parents perspective and I would be furious at Draco for doing that to me." I nodded my head and although I know it probably wasn't the best move to make it was the safest.

"Anyway, What is your plans?" She shrugged her shoulders at me and looked contemplative.

"Well hopefully my knowledge of the law can help Bella in some way, all of the tricks she has pulled along the way has been nothing short of extraordinary. Draco said he would vouch for her and for the Dark Mark pushing and goading them into things." I knew Bellatrix was not completely evil and she has done some pretty horrific things, however she hasn't exactly had anything to cling to. Sirius had his friends growing up, Narcissa had Draco, Andromeda had Ted and Bellatrix had Minerva but she was the only one with the dark mark and unfortunately the darkness won out over love. I wouldn't be shocked if it was continuously snuffing it out as the years went by.

"Either way I know she regrets what has happened to Sirius but I need to talk to her and figure out what happened from her perspective. I am giving Dora and Drommie access to the Malfoy and Black Library and hoping they can find something to wake Remus." I nodded my head at her and leant forward to kiss her before she smiled at me.

"Well if your up for a vacation afterwards how about Australia on a wild goose chase?" She looked shocked that I would invite her and in all honesty I am shocked that she thought I would leave without her.

"You want me to come with you? To find your parents? Wouldn't you rather Harry or Ron?" I shook my head and climbed over her knee until I was straddling her, she seemed shocked initially but eventually she held onto my hips and look up at me.

"No offense but I have spent Seven years with Harry and Ron, the last year of which living with them both in a tent, trust me, I would like a bit of space from the boys." She smiled and I leant down to kiss her, a few open mouth kisses later and I was feeling bold, my tongue snakes into her mouth and she seemed to jerk slightly but she kissed me back. I was not anymore experienced that her in any way shape or form but feeling her kiss me in that way made me feel like I had never been kissed before. She had one arm wrapped around my waist and the other pressed against my cheek. Her entire body was pressed against mine and although it felt soft against my own there was muscles I wasn't expecting, my hands ran down her ribs and her abs were rock hard.

"Maybe...we should...slow down." I tried to break apart but my words were coming out a stuttered mess and as she pulled away I felt empty. How can She effect me so much? She smiled at me as I dismounted and we sat with about a foot apart.

"So much for taking it slow..." I laughed at that and in an unladylike Manor she laughed into her hand. It felt good to laugh, especially now, the war was over and the future was ours. We decided to get ready for the day and so we went into the bathroom where there were two sinks and I washed my face and brushed my teeth.

"What is that?" She looked at my toothbrush as if it was going to reach out and bite her. Once I explained what it was for she looked very offended.

"Hermione, you are a witch. Why not use your magic?" I know it confuses a lot of people when I brush my teeth the Muggle way but it made me feel closer to my parents. She understood once I explained but still eyed my toothbrush with distain. I watched as she waved her wand into so many intriguing patterns as she wrapped her hair up and donned her Make Up, what stunned me the most was the fact that she pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and black blouse before putting on her Malfoy heels and declaring herself ready.

"Damn...I could get used to that, you are amazing..." I pressed her against the sink and kissed her, a small moan escaped her mouth and I really felt a sense of accomplishment at throwing her off her game. Ten minutes later she had her Game Face on and we left our bubble to check on the rest of the world and see what needed fixed. This was the first day of our future.

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	8. ChapterEight

**_Chapter Eight_**

Walking through the corridors it seemed even emptier than the day previous, it seems people had decided to go home and so we didn't run into anyone on our way to the Great Hall. Harry was sitting with Draco and the Weasleys at the Ravenclaw table, as soon as they seen us they waved us over and Draco looked momentarily shocked at the fact that we came down together. Narcissa hugged her son and then offered Molly and Arthur their condolences. Arthur seemed a little bit off about having not one but two Malfoys at the table but eventually he just nodded his head and ignored them both. They seemed to be blending into the group well and by the time we were halfway through our breakfast, Arthur had more than relaxed in their presence.

"Kingsley rounded up all of the Death Eaters and took them to the Ministry, except Bellatrix. I am sorry dear I know she is your sister but I find it hard to believe what they are saying. Could you tell me, is it true she has been trying to help all this time?" I didn't really know what the public story was for Bellatrix but I just nodded my head at the Weasley Matriarch.

"Yes, although there has been crimes in her past she will have to answer for...she spent thirteen years in Azkaban with dementors. Some would say that's punishment enough." Surprisingly Molly nodded her head at Narcissa and took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"Young Draco did tell me about the Dark Mark, how it has some sort of compulsion and loyalty charms attached to it...she was only seventeen when she took the Mark also so, she must have been so young and impressionable..." I was shocked at her but Narcissa laughed so loud that some other people looked around at her.

"I'm sorry, it's just something Bellatrix has never been described as is impressionable. It caught me off guard I apologise..." She waved it off and I just looked at Narcissa who was mortified slightly at the attention she had brought herself. We finished our breakfast and stood up to make our way to the hospital Wing, Draco and Harry planned to go to Gringotts and apologise for the dragon before coming back to the castle and helping with restoration and clean up. We planned to meet at eleven and The Weasleys were planning to go home and grieve in the peace and comfort of their own home, I couldn't imagine how Molly was feeling because she is walking around like nothing had happened and it was both worrisome and understandable.

"Please let me know when the funeral is, I would like to pay my respects to both of your boys." They both nodded to her as we walked out of the Great Hall and made our way to the Hospital Wing. It was now empty save for Bella and there was two people I didn't recognise sitting on her bed and as soon as they turned I gasped.

They looked like their photograph, sitting in front of me was Frank and Alice Longbottom along with a crying Bellatrix. I could hear a similar gasp come from beside me and Narcissa looked to be just as shocked as I was. The woman who I now know as Alice Longbottom had her hand on Bellatrixs shoulder in a sort of comforting gesture. We were all interrupted by the door opening behind us and Neville walking in.

"I couldn't find gran apparently her and McGonagall disappeared a while ago...oh hey Hermione, Lady Black. Come meet my parents." He grasped us both by the hand and trailed us over to Bellatrixs bedside. Narcissa was a little bit flabbergasted at the way he just trailed her along too like she was a dog on a leash.

"Mum, dad, this is my good friend Hermione Granger, she was in Gryffindor with me. This is Lady Malfoy, her son Draco was in school with us as well. He was in Slytherin and although we never got on he has since apologised for being a prat." Frank laughed and Alice shook her head in disapproval at her son.

"Actually we have met, I was in the same year as Alice in school, you always beat me in Herbology and Arithmancy. I think Lily Potter best the pants off both of us though." She nodded her head at Narcissa and surprised everyone by hugging the woman in greeting.

"I remember Narcissa, I apologise for intruding I just wanted to thank Bellatrix for waking us up..." The death eater shook her head and laughed before glancing at the Longbottoms in confusion.

"You shouldn't be thanking me, I am the reason you lost so much time...if it wasn't for me going to Azkaban then you wouldn't have been stuck in that State all those years and you wouldn't have missed Neville's childhood..." Frank shook his head at the woman before taking his hand in hers.

"If it wasn't also for you, we would have both been lost in our heads too traumatised to come back, you gave us somewhere safe to hide when young Barry Crouch and your husband had their fun. No matter what else has happened for that I am always going to be thankful...Look we have already spoken to Kingsley and Amelia Bones on your behalf." Bellatrix locked eyes with me before her eyes filled up again and she placed her head between her knees.

"I don't know how much it Will help but we tried..." Bellatrix nodded her head at Alice also and couldn't help but smile at us both. We exchanged small talk before they excused themselves to head home and see Augusta, I made plans to come meet with Neville over the coming weeks. According to Minerva she was trying to rebuild and reopen by September and has offered all of us spaces in the Seventh year class to gain our NEWT's. Bellatrix was flabbergasted about what just happened and Poppy Pomfry came back into the room and saw the state of her patient. She started muttering about upsetting the woman too much.

"Do you need a calming draught dear?" She shook her head and thanked the mediwitch before looking up at Narcissa and taking her hand in her own.

"They forgave me...Neville forgives me, they said Augusta did too but she couldn't bring herself to come and see me. All of this has been difficult for her apparently and now seeing as she pushed for my conviction after the first war she sort of blames herself." Narcissa nodded her head and just let her sister speak.

"When I was arrested I had a trial but I wasn't present at it, I was deemed too dangerous, I remember telling the Auror who put me in Azkaban to help the Longbottoms but apparently he didn't believe me." I touched Narcissa on the shoulder and went to excuse myself, I made the mistake of looking Bella in the eye and I felt her in my head again.

"My, my little sister, you have been busy..." I pushed her out quicker that she entered but she still saw our kissing session and she smirked at the both of us smugly.

"Bella do behave, stay out of her head..." The older woman just smirked and shrugged her shoulders before beckoning me over with the crook of her finger. It was times like this where I was reminiscent of the evil Bella we all thought we knew.

"You little Muddy are going to have to learn Occlumency...if your going to shag my sister that's something I am sure you both don't want dirty old perverts getting off to. I am going to teach you." Both Narcissa and I gaped at her and I laughed at the serious look on her face.

"Bellatrix, you could go to Azkaban in less than a week." As I said this she smirked before nodding her head and shrugging her shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Considering the way you just pushed me out of your head I can have you proficient in three days or at least almost there that Narcissa can teach you the rest. Only Pureblood children get this opportunity little Muddy..." Narcissa hissed everytime she called me Muddy but I just waved her off.

"Ok, I'm in..." The prospect Of learning something I would never otherwise get the opportunity to filled me with excitement. It seems she was excited also for she was rubbing her hands together like she was plotting world domination.

"Just please don't teach me the way Professor Snape taught Harry, he struggled for days following the mental attacks he did to him..." Both Narcissa and Bellatrix looked at me as if I had six heads. Bella looked livid and Narcissa was just confused.

"What exactly did he do to Potter?" Bellatrix looked like a wilcat as I told her how he tried to 'teach' Harry occlumency in our fifth year and the tactics he used.

"Dear sister if you see Severus can you please send him my way, I want to talk to him about Sirius anyway but this will be a good time for me to square him away about some things." Narcissa nodded but her expression didn't change, I watched Narcissa leave the room and I turned back around to the woman who tortured me a few weeks ago to find her smiling that evil smirk.

"I also have a favour to ask of you Miss Granger, something you can't tell anyone about, if you must tell Cissy then you have my permission but your two boyfriends can't know." I only nodded at her and although I was intrigued I was also terrified. She lifted up her hospital gown and showed me a scar across the bottom of her stomach and I knew instantly what it was, my mother had the same scar,

"You had a baby?" She reluctantly nodded her head at me before looking downcast, she then proceeded to tell me the story, when she was taken to Azkaban she was already five months pregnant. That was why they didn't want her to go to her trial, they thought she would garner sympathy by being pregnant. When it came time to have the baby she was rushed to the Prison Hospital Ward and had a baby girl. The baby was taken from her and never to be heard from again, she wanted me to help her find this woman.

"How old would she be?" Seventeen...a Seventeen year old daughter of Bellatrix was floating around the world somewhere and I had to find her. I nodded my head and told her I would help her out.

"Now Miss Granger, come sit down next to Professor Black..." She giggled as she said it and it filled me with dread because the last time I saw that expression on her face she was hacking into my arm. In that moment I almost backed away and chickened out but with every ounce of Gryffindor courage I could muster I squared my shoulders at sat down awaiting the inevitable snap into my head.

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	9. Chapter9

Chapter Nine

It had been an hour since Bellatrix began her lesson and in all honesty it wasn't going the way I thought it was going to. Instead of the onslaught of slamming into my head which Harry described she spent the whole hour barely speaking only to explain certain things and slowly creeping into my mind to see what I could feel and what I couldn't.

"Do you have any formal training?" I shook my head at her and she smiled and nodded before clapping her hands at me and tutted again just as I felt her slowly encroach again.

"Oh honey I don't need the three days, you little Muddy tried to teach yourself, didn't you? Tell me did you try anything else?" I shrugged my shoulders and she leaned in close to me and smiled.

"I saw what looks like the recipe for the Animagus Potion, did you find out your form?" Damn she was good, I nodded my head at her but I was defeated. All of that time that I wasted.

"Yes, but I haven't been able to transform yet, I thought it might be helpful for Harry so I wanted to learn and then I was going to teach him." She nodded her head and smiled before leaning her hand up to touch my cheek and caressed it in a way that reminded me of Narcissa.

"Good news and Bad news, bad news is I don't have much to teach you, good news is I can tell you how to take your form..." She immediately began instructing me and soon enough my Occlumency shields and Labyrinth of hallways and Library's for my thoughts and memories were deemed passable.

"All you needed was a bit of finessing and the ability to be quicker tossing people out, don't go blabbing to all your friends because this is a Black Family secret. Now find yourself a Nice comfortable spot and meditate, for a while." I was confused before she pushed herself up on the bed and winked at the movement.

"While you meditate you will see your form, look at every inch of it and memorise the way it moves, swims, flies whatever it is..." I nodded my head and chose the bed beside her. She quirked an eyebrow at me before I shrugged and smiled.

"It's a nice quiet spot and the majority of people have now gone home. No one is going to be bothering me." She nodded and I pulled my bag open and handed her a book and a bar of chocolate to which she smiled at me.

"Aww Muddy, the way to any Black Sisters heart is books, Narcissa especially and her damn Photographic memory." I was shocked, I didn't know she had a photographic memory. Then again there is probably a whole lot about both of us that we didn't know. As I sat on the bed cross legged I did as she instructed, tried to lower my breathing and ignore the world around me. I eventually couldn't hear anything and slipped into my meditative state.

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I could see it happen, her breathing evened out and if she wasn't sitting up I would have thought she was sleeping, it filled me with shame to know I tortured her. For the first time in nearly thirty years my mind was clear, I always had a fog over my thoughts and emotions, I am not stupid, I know I will have to pay for my crimes but doing so with a clear head was enough to make me not mind.

I had a lot to atone for, since the Longbottoms were brought back to reality I had a few things to fix, starting with Remus. When I found him he started throwing hex after hex my way and MacNair threw him a hex from behind and he fell. I made sure he was breathing, hexed MacNair and sent Big Wolfie to my childhood home, I knew he would awaken as soon as he get to the house. Thanks to the wards he should have just woken up but now I have to talk to Narcissa to go and get the Black Grimoire.

Hopefully it will have something in it I can help my niece with, little wolfie deserves to have his daddy. The other thing I have to fix is Sirius, if I can, Sirius has always been an impulsive, hard headed Manchild but Harry deserves to have him back and it's selfish but I want to clear my conscience too. I sat reading the book little Muddy gave me but for around twenty minutes all I could think of was my daughter. There is no doubt she was magical because of who her parents are. There will be a stigma attached to her but before I could think of anything else Severus walked into the room in the impressive way he does and I smirked at my oldest friend.

"You requested my presence..." I nodded and looked at him, he still had his teaching robes done up all the way to his neck and he stood at the edge of my bed.

"Well one is so honoured to be in the presence of an Order of Merlin First Class recipient, please don't wear that to the Ceremony..." I could tell he hated the whole thing and his jaw went rigid at me mentioning the award.

"Is there a reason you sent your sister to fetch me like a House elf?" I smiled and nodded my head before throwing a notebook out to him and he gasped his mouth at me as he looked through it, I could see the gears turning in his head and it was comical to watch.

"What is this?" I let out a breath and I could feel the excitement of his inner scholar as he looked over my plan and looked back up to me before glancing at little Muddy on the bed.

"Don't worry about her, she is in a deep meditative state, finding her inner animal and al that yadda, yadda." He looked dubiously back at the notebook and looked back up at me.

"You want me to break into the Death Chamber in the ministry and break the Veil?" I shook my head at him and laughed genuinely for what felt like the first time in years.

"Oh my god Severus, I honestly thought you were smarter than that, no. I want you to go to the Unspeakables and show them this notebook, they will then let you in. Take Harry with you, he has so much political clout now he basically saved the world." He shook his head and looked furious at me.

"You do know your cousin and I hated each other don't you. Why would I bring him back to be a bigger pain in my arse?" I just pinched my nose and shook my head before waving my hand at him and a purging potion flew out of the room.

"I know Dumbledore is the worlds savior but he changed you, made you good for our cause but made you hate Potter and his little friends, they got fed them too, to hate you. He practically shoved it into my head that night in the Astronomy tower. Please do this for me Severus." He knocked the potion back and it was as if a fog lifted.

All he could do was nod his head and Hermione jumping from the bed as a wolf was enough to break us from our conversation. Standing in front of me was a large brown wolf with the darkest eyes and it came over to jump up on my bed and I rubbed behind its head to which she loved.

"Oh little Muddy, you are amazing." Narcissa walked into the room with Harry Potter and in seconds the wolf jumped from my bed and ran to a startled Harry and she jumped on him and began licking his face.

"Oi...Bellatrix keep your mutt on a leash..." She nipped him slightly and them went to walk back to me and transformed into herself.

"Harry Potter, keep calling me a Mutt and I won't teach you how to do it..." His eyes lit up and his jaw dropped, Narcissas was the same.

"Hermione, you've been training to become an Animagus? How long?" She shrugged her shoulders at my sister and then proceeded to tell them she had been trying it since fifth year. We continued to talk for a while before Severus interrupted us.

"Excuse us but Mr Potter and I have business in the Ministry..." Little Potter looked confused before shrugging his shoulders and went with the dark eyed man and left me alone with the love birds.

"Cissy you look like you have seen a ghost what's going on?" Hermione excused herself from us and left me and my sister alone, she was having some sort of internal battle in her head. I tried my best to snap her out of it but as her breathing quickened I just slapped her.

"Cissy, snap out of it!" She stood up and where my sister was a beautiful white wolf with blue eyes stood in front of me and if all made sense. I was sure my smile had grown to epic proportions by this stage and if wolves could glare that's what she had been doing.

"Oh my god! This is amazing I have never seen an actually case of 'âmes soeurs' before, stop looking at me like that Cissy, this is a good thing. Why are you acting like the worlds ending?" She morphed back to herself again and in a very unnatural Cissy way she plonked herself down on the chair and looked at me.

"We are still figuring this thing out, she has known about my Animagus form for a while and now this. She obviously doesn't know what this means." I let out a extremely irritated breath at my little sisters idiocy.

"Listen snap out of it! You have a soul mate! You can't bitch about this gift that has been presented to you. It shouldn't be much of a surprise, you are shagging the girl so be thankful it isn't some stranger." Cissy slapped me on the arm but we were interrupted by the door opening and Minerva walked in. She looked stunning, the older woman has always had an appearance that commanded attention and that hadn't diminished as the years passed. Her green eyes met my own an I felt like I couldn't breathe, it amazed me that all of these years she could still make me weak.

"Narcissa, would you mind giving me a moment alone with your sister please?" She nodded and when my baby sister looked at me I urged her to go find Hermione, of course she just rolled her eyes at me and left me with the love of my life. We didn't talk for a while but she stood stiffly at the foot of my bed just looking at me, I was probably a right sight better that what I was but I looked sickly. Eventually she sat on the chair that Narcissa just vacated. Now would be the perfect time to tell her all of the secrets that I had been keeping but call me a Chicken if you want but I can't even talk about it myself never mind keep a level head and tell her.

"Have you been avoiding me Minerva?" For the first time she looked away from me and looked at her feet. I had never seen her so scared but she looked into my eyes and I knew what was coming. We had always been able to read each other like a book, she was going to ask for another chance, we cannot even entertain the idea of it.

"Don't Minerva, I could be going back to Azkaban and even if I wasn't we can't. You know as well as I do, we can't, you have legendary status now that you are a war hero." She stood up and sat on the edge of my bed and smiled and I had never seen her so carefree.

"Bella, I have been ignoring it, ignoring the fact that you have been here...seeing you here and so much like the Bella I fell in love with hurts." Looking into her green eyes made my heart ache, all of those years we had together and it had been wasted because I was being dosed.

"Do you know when I fell in love with you? You walked into the entrance hall and introduced yourself to us little first years and gave us the speech about family, and how our houses would be like our family. I thought you were extraordinary." She actually blushed and I took her hand in my own.

"Bella!" I shook my head and pulled her in for a kiss, I needed it, I craved it and she seemed to as well. We spent a few minutes kissing when she broke apart from me and I nodded my head at her.

"I will remember everything, but we just weren't meant to be." She nodded her head and stood up to leave, just before she opened the door she turned to me and looked dead in my eye.

"I will remember it too, I did love you...still do but everything that happened between us was beautiful, I will remember it forever." I nodded and she left the room and the tears that were burning in my eyes fell of their own accord. Madam Pomfry found me and gave me a gentle hug to help me.

"I could take that calming draught now Madam, if possible." She nodded and handed me a potion I knocked back and within a few minutes I was asleep, dreaming of thirty years prior and the feel of Minervas hands on my body and the child we conceived.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/—/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

After finding my Animagus form I was so excited that I decided to test it out by going to the forest and running, I couldn't help but notice the fact that my form seemed to frighten Narcissa, was she irritated that I didn't tell her? I didn't see the point of telling her when we were at Shell Cottage because I had been stuck for six months and never thought I was going to complete it.

I reached the boundary for the Forbidden Forest and ran, the feel of the earth beneath my paws was incredible, I could hear and smell everything, all of my senses were heightened and I was unsure how long I was running for but a bark from behind me made me stop. My dark brown eyes found blue ones and I could see it perfectly, she was even more stunning in wolf vision and she walked over to me slowly. Her form was slightly bigger than mine and I instantly felt the need to bow.

All of these animal instincts was going to drive me crazy, she took off without warning and we ran, I don't know how long for but we ran until we couldn't anymore. Once we reached the boundary again I transformed just as she did and she looked at me.

"Your form is beautiful, why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you." I shrugged my shoulders as she took my hand in hers and we walked towards the black lake and away from the forest.

"I had been stuck for a while and with everything going on I don't think I was in the right frame of mind." She nodded to me and smiled and just wandlessly cast a warming charm on my jacket.

"Why did you look frightened? When you saw me?" She froze for a second before stopping completely and it startled me if I was being honest.

"There is a legend in our family l, well in Pureblooded families that two people with the same Spirit Animal or Animagus as it now known are soul mates." I smiled at her and she must not have been expecting that reaction because I pulled her in for a kiss in hopes of wiping that scared smile off her face.

"I don't need a spirit animal to know what you are to me. Don't be scared Narcissa, we might be moving slowly but I know what this is..." She immediately relaxed in my arms and I felt like my whole world was forming around me.

"Now, I was hoping to enrol and finish my schooling in September but how would you feel about a holiday...to Australia?" She smiled and nodded at me before we slowly made our way back up to the school talking about my career aspirations and her own

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	10. ChapterTen

Chapter Ten

It was late that evening when we all sat in the Great Hall having dinner that the biggest shock of our lives happened, Severus Snape and Harry Potter walked into the room with a long thought dead Sirius Black. He looked exactly the same as he did that night in the Ministry, he had his arm resting over Harry and surprisingly Severus shoulders, as they got closer and closer to us I saw Sirius notice me and his features lit up.

"Kitten! My my you have grown up hot!" I just ran and threw my arms around him and relished in the thought that he was back. Then the guilt crept in, Sirius came back and Remus could come back but The Weasleys and so many others are grieving at home for the loss of loved ones. This war had taken so much from everyone and it didn't seem fair.

"Sirius Black! You have always been hot!" He laughed at me and I could practically feel the daggers Narcissa was giving us both, as we both pulled apart he went to sit down when he spotted Narcissa. A huge smile ended up all over his face and I could see the jealous part of her melt away at her cousin being alive.

"Cousin!" Almost immediately he threw his arms around her as well and then Andromeda before finally settling on Nymphadora and then spotted Baby Teddy. Realisation dawned on him and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh my god! Our Moony actually admitted he had feeling for you then baby cousin, and you both had a kid! Where is he anyway? Thought he would be here to celebrate and brood." It seemed Harry and Severus didn't tell him everything. The table was quiet and his smile fell at everyone's face.

"No...no...I can't come back and another of my best friends die!" Andromeda placed a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him and it worked for a fraction of a second before we tried to tell him exactly what was wrong.

"Well he is not dead, however Walden McNair hit him with a curse during the battle and he is sort of in a sleep so to speak. All we need to do is just wake him up, which we are working on." Luckily we were finished eating because he just jumped up turned to us and asked where he was, once we told him he ran out of the hall toward the hospital Wing.

Harry got up and ran with him and Narcissa and I decided to follow suit, albeit at a much more sedate pace that he was doing. By the time we reached the room he was sitting at his best friends bedside with one hand holding his best friends and the other on his shoulder where Bellatrix was comforting him. She stood hunched over with her spare arm over her stomach and we rushed over to take her weight off her legs slightly.

"You shouldn't be up walking around, you're not strong enough. Come back to bed...NOW BELLA!" Narcissa dragged her sister to the bed again and after a few minutes Sirius turned to Bellatrix and smiled at her in thanks and slight shock.

"Who would have thought the most deranged woman in our generation would actually end up helping the Side of the light the most. Thank you for bringing me back!" She nodded her head and smiled before laughing slightly.

"Well I did kill you so...I figured I owed you one." He laughed and her as did Narcissa and I before the former fussed over her older sister for a while before all of us went to our respective jobs. I made my way to the Library and had so many things to try and do, Remus, Bella and her daughter also, I figure I would refresh my memory of the law first of all and just as I was about to sit down Narcissa caught my arm.

"These school books won't help you, come with me..." I only nodded and trusted her to guide me wherever. Now that the wards were up and running again we had to walk down to the apparation point at the gates.

It didn't take us very long and before I knew it she had whisked us away to god knows where, we landed in an unfamiliar room and as I looked around I saw nothing but extravagance and she didnt even give me a chance to nosy around before dragging me up a large staircase and down an impossibly long corridor before coming to a stop outside of two heavy oak doors.

"Welcome to the Black Family Library, this was my childhood home, it was left to me when my mother died. In this room is law books, medical books and an abundance of others from every subject you could think of. Andi and Nymphadora are at Malfoy Manor with Draco trying to help Remus, I want you to focus on Bellas trial with me if possible? I am not naive enough to think my sister will not go to Prison but I don't want her to get a death sentence." I only nodded and she pushed the doors open and the sight that greeted me almost made me fall down. Rows and rows of books seemed never ending I was literally in heaven, that is the only way around it. It was the only thing that made sense. She was already picking out books to set on a small table that had couches around it.

"Bellatrix said you have a Photographic memory, do you remember everything that you read?" She rolled her eyes before nodding her head and I was instantly envious, I always knew she was intelligent but even I am out of her league when it comes to remembering things.

"What way does it work?" She just shrugged her head and honestly didn't know, there was not a lot of information about it medically and now the war was over she was going to figure out a way to understand.

"October 2nd 1989...what do you remember?" She stopped to look at me as if I had six heads before smirking and walking toward me with that damn smirk on her face. That look scared me, there was a side of her that was full of mischief and it was clearly evident on her face now.

"It was a Monday, under a Libra Star Sign, Cornelius Fudge was Minister of Magic, the Muggle Prime Minister was Margaret Thatcher and I do believe that the Eldest Weasley child, Bill was graduating that year." I smiled at her and shook my head making shivers erupt on my skin. She was directly in front of me and I just slowly pushed her into the desk and pulled her down for a kiss, this woman was like a walking, talking, sexy encyclopaedia. I never thought I would find someone to have intellectual conversations with but here she was.

I pushed her down onto the table and she looked up as we broke apart and smiled at me, I couldn't help but kiss her again, it was heated, needy and full of passion. She pulled my jacket off and threw it on the floor before I started the buttons of her shirt. Reluctantly we broke apart again just as a small POP echoed around the room.

"Does Mistress Black need anything specific? Mistress Black must remember that I will have to wash those desks after any fornicating happens." Oh my god! A small little elf was scowling at Narcissa who looked equally annoyed. As she adjusted her shirt to cover what looks like a devil red bra that made me want to see more.

"Rani...good to see you again. Don't worry we are only here to research." She immediately popped away and Narcissa tucked her head onto my shoulder as I laughed.

"Ugh that blasted elf was always inter fearing, its ridiculous honestly." We soon got stuck into research and forgot about what we were doing previous. It took five hours and forty five minutes before I found it.

"Oh my god!" Narcissa was losing the will to live at this point but her head snapped up quicker than I had ever thought possible. I read and re-read the passage and it made me internally squeal.

"Your father made your sister take on the Dark Mark when she signed her marriage contract correct?" She nodded her head at me and I showed her the page and she smiled at me.

"The Free Will Clause 1787. Oh my Merlin Hermione!" She jumped over and pulled me in for a kiss that was even more passionate than before.

"You are extraordinary you know that!" She pulled me up and dragged me through the library and up the stairs to the third floor and opened up a door to a bedroom. A large King size bed was the main feature with cream, brown and green as the colour scheme and I loved it.

"What are you doing?" She grinned and closed the door before stalking closer to me. In that moment she looked more like a lioness stalking her prey, instead of the wolf I know her to be.

"I want to kiss you, touch you and feel you without that blasted elf interrupting us!" My body lit up with the thought of her touching me and as soon as her lips touched mine I lost all rational thought. It was a minefield of lips, hands, tongues and a battle for dominance that she eventually won. Everything was extraordinary and as I peeled off my jacket she pulled back and looked at me again.

"Hermione, we should stop..." I shook my head and took off my jacket and then hers, she looked at me in my jeans and tank top and licked her lips before I pulled her back to me. I knew what I wanted from her but didn't want to put any pressure on her. I walked her back to the bed and gently pushed her down to sit on the edge. My tank top followed my jacket to the floor and she placed her hands on opposite thighs and slowly ran them up my body to rest around my waist.

"You're the one who started this...you can't back out now." Narcissa looked up at me and smiled before pressing open mouthed kisses on my, ribs, stomach and just above the waistband of my jeans. She lifted her hands to the front of my body and pop open the button on my jeans.

"I don't want to stop, I don't want you to feel pressured." I laughed slightly and shook my head at her before she kissed me again only this time it was slightly below the waistband of my jeans to where my underwear peeked out. I was sure then and there my legs were going to collapse from under me and I put one knee on either side of her hips to draw her closer to me. Growing bold she pulled down my jeans and left me standing in a pair of plain black boyshorts and nothing else. I felt as if I was on display at the way she was looking at me.

"You are amazing Hermione, truly breathtaking." I have never had anyone look at me the way she was, her eyes were full of awe and passion as she pulled me down for another kiss before flipping me down on the mattress and standing up from me. Before I could protest she removed her blouse leaving her in the most amazing red bra and as she unzipped her jeans and pulled them down I saw the tiniest pair of underwear ever and my jaw dropped.

This woman was incredible, I had always appreciated the way people looked but seeing Narcissa standing in front of me in nothing but her underwear gave me a whole different kind of something to appreciate. Everything after that was kind of a blur, she kissed me and they soon turned frantic, her hands finding the different parts of my body that made me moan. Just before she removed my underwear she looked up at me, silently asking for permission to which I nodded.

She was incredible, I have never had anyone touch me like that and as she worked on my body both inside and out with her hand I fell head over heels in love with her and nothing could stop it there and then. As I came down from my orgasmic high she just continued to sneak kisses on my neck, chest and lips before smiling at me. I soon rolled her over and made her feel just as good if not better, at least I was determined to. Needless to say neither one of us got much sleep for a while.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_—_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

A week had passed since our time at Black Manor and I had barely seen her, today was Bellatrixs trial and I have her Defense all lined up for her solicitor. We hired a woman who was well known back in the day for getting people off the hook. Narcissa had been helping research Remuss condition whilst I try and track down my parents and Bellas daughter. I had hired a magical private investigator and between the two of us we were like ships passing through the night lately but all of that was due to change, I had narrowed down the location of my parents to Perth and was starting there.

As I changed into an outfit I borrowed from Narcissa actually, I had on a black skirt that came just between my knees and ankles and sat tight to my skin. A white blouse with the most flattering black closed toed shoes and robes I had ever seen. We had been splitting time between Black Manor, Hogwarts and Grimmauld Place to help Sirius get it back to habitable again. The Daily Prophet had been running story after story of the injustices that had happened to Bellatrix.

They were painting her out to be a fragile little kitten who had been coerced and forced into everything, the Longbottoms had spoken on behalf of her, as did Sirius even though technically she killed him. She was getting more and more irritated and I had something that was going to help her feel better, her medical records in Azkaban were a bit hard to find but it did say she had given birth.

The baby was placed in a Muggle orphanage and adopted to a Richard and Veronica Woods, they named her Alya Isabella Woods, she moved to Boston Massachusetts when she was two. Her adoptive parents passed away three years ago and on her sixteenth birthday she was granted emancipation from the state and inherited her parents and grandparents estate.

She had applied to schools in London and that's all I could find of her, I couldn't access her medical records or anything but I did find out she was accepted to Ilvermorny when she was eleven and so at least I knew she was a witch so I wouldn't have to mince my words with her. Once Bella was acquitted I will tell her all about her daughter, I didn't want to tell her before the trial because if she is convicted it would be more disappointing for her.

Soft heels got closer And closer and as I finished pinning my hair up Narcissa walked in and we almost looked like twins, she stopped and I could practically feel her eyes roaming over me and it sent shivers down my spine.

"Oh my Merlin, you look amazing in my clothes!" She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist before pressing soft kisses on my neck. I don't know what it is about this woman but everytime she touches me I go weak in the knees.

"Mmm...I missed you." I turned and kissed her with all of my might, I really couldn't function when she did this to me, here was this woman who was perfection personified and I was just bushy haired Hermione Granger.

"I missed you, we have to go...so don't you be starting something we don't have the time to finish." She nodded and I tucked my wand up my sleeve before we made our way downstairs to the Living Room Of Grimmauld Place and found Harry, Sirius, Andromeda and Nymphadora waiting for us.

"Did you two coordinate your outfits?" No one officially knew of our relationship other than Neville, Harry, Bella and Minerva. They all just thought we had became friends, which we had but little did they know we were also sleeping together.

"I didn't really have anything appropriate for A Wizangamot session so Narcissa let me borrow something." They all nodded and pretty soon we were all making our way to the FLOO and made outlet way to the Ministry for the trial. I could only hope everything went according to plan.

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	11. ChapterEleven

**_Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all of the support from my previous chapter. I hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am writing it. Sorry for the delay, both Juliet, her dad and myself have all caught the flu but now we are fighting fit again. _**

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Chapter Eleven

Sitting in the hospital Wing of Hogwarts always left me with a sense of Nostalgia, I loved the castle and everything it stood for. Even more so now that Minerva was Headmistress, I just knew she was going to do such a better job that Albus 'look at me' Dumbledore. Even if I hadn't been on Voldemort's side of the war I don't think I could stomach being on his side either.

That night on the astronomy tower, I found out exactly what he did to Severus, James Potter, Sirius and his friends. He fed them all hate potions throughout their Hogwarts years and for some strange reason he told me. He knew somehow, he knew exactly what I was. I always maintained the man was mad which was true but he was a mad genius, somehow Albus Bloody Dumbledore knew.

Today was the day my fate would be decided, it wouldn't be anything I didn't deserve. I had been involved in multiple atrocities and I deserved to be sent back to Azkaban and if that is my fate I will give in to it.

Cissy brought me some clothes that was different to my usual attire, a pair of black dress trousers and a red blouse with a gold necklace. Her little relationship with the Gryffindor Princess was rubbing off on her. Just as I was putting on the shoes she left me I heard the door open.

Minerva had hardly aged a day to me, she was still my Min and especially now, she was standing with her long hair down her back and just clipped at the front. She too was going to come to my trial despite my insistence she didn't.

"Wow...Narcissa has been I take it? I know you were never a fan of Make up." I caught a glance at my reflection and cringed internally, my sister had plastered the war paint on my face without my consenting and I don't know the spell to take it off.

"Yeah well...appearances and all of that." She nodded her head and came to sit on the edge of the bed opposite me, as her gaze trailed over me I didn't quite understand what I was seeing.

"Why are you here Minerva?" I had to try and separate the woman from my memories and the woman in front of me, if only to keep my sanity. Ever time she smiled I had a FLASHBACK of our relationship together and nearly lost my mind. The guilt about not telling her we had a daughter was eating me up inside.

"I am your escort to the Ministry, Minister Shacklebolt seems to think I am the only one who can control you." It was then I saw the flirtation and lightness between us that existed so long ago.

"Little does he know the extent of the truth? Any word on Remus?" She shook her head at me and in all honesty I blamed myself for not checking the Wolfman over before sending him on his merry way, I will never be able to forgive myself if Nymphie can't wake him up. I stood up and gave myself a once over in the mirror and the woman in front of me was a stranger, all of these years the Bellatrix I had portrayed to the world was not me and yet neither was this person. If I was acquitted I would have to spend some time to figure out exactly who that is because I honestly don't know, without mother and fathers lessons, Rodolphous and his obedience clause in that damn

contract I don't know who I am.

"Ready to go?" She held out her arm for me to take and without thinking twice I nodded and took her arm, I took one last look around and ingraining the Structure Of Hogwarts in my head. This could be the last time I walked as a free woman and as I saw Teachers and Students watch me walk down the corridors of Hogwarts on the arm of the Headmistress some of them smiled and offered me luck and in my head I was expecting pitchforks and torches.

As we made it to the ward line she silently asked me again and I stepped closer to her and nodded my head. Soon we were gone and landed on the atrium of the Ministry. Without warning there was lightbulbs going off in my face and reporters asking me all sorts of questions, Minerva just held me close and fought our way through.

"Bellatrix...is it true you were forced into helping Voldemort? Did you bring Sirius Black back from the dead? Is it true you are romantically involved with Harry Potter? What outcome do you think your going to get today?" One by one each even more ludicrous than the rest. The Aurors soon appeared and escorted them away to make a runway for us to walk, as we got onto the lift and made our way down to the courts I couldn't bring myself to say anything to Minerva. She kept looking at me from the corner of her eye because t I just couldn't look at her. If I did I would break and kiss her and I can't, luckily she turned to look at me.

"It's going to be ok. The public are actually behind you if you can believe it. I will see you when you get acquitted." As soon as she said that to me I actually believed it, we came to the doorway that led to the cell I would be waiting in I couldn't bring myself to open the door. A steady hand on my shoulder provided me with the strength I needed and just before I walked through the door I gave her one last look and nodded.

The door swung behind me and I was met with an Auror who looked slightly terrified of me and they led me to another door and put a pair of shackles on my wrists. The feeling of metal on my wrists made me think back to all of those years in Azkaban, taking a deep breath I allowed the Auror to lead me into the Courtroom.

Thankfully the media wasn't allowed into the courtroom because there would have been chaos. Sitting in the stands I could see Hermione and Cissa sitting with Andromeda, the Weasleys and Longbottoms. There was a mixture of expressions on everyone in the room and I just put my head down as I was guided to the chair in the middle of the room. Kingsley Shacklebolt took to a small podium at the front of the room and the murmurs and whispers stopped almost immediately. It was then I knew he was going to be a good Minister, he already had the respect of the people, my eyes caught Sirius sitting in his Wizangamot Robes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, today we are now joined by Bellatrix Black. For decades the name Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black has been met with fear. Little did we know that she has been working behind the scenes to the best of her ability." Some of them looked at me with confusion and disbelief but I noticed from the looks of things I had the support of the Weasleys, that was golden in the side of the light.

"As you can see, Frank and Alice Longbottom have been brought out of their states and have joined us today, according to eyewitnesses this is due to Bellatrix Black. Sirius Black has also been brought back after being hit by his cousin just as he fell into the Veil." More people looked at Sirius and I could see him standing in his best house robes as he sat beside Dora who had just arrived and Andromeda.

"We have heard from several eyewitnesses already and now we shall take it to a vote, all those in favour of a guilty verdict light your wands." A lot of people lit up their wands and there was a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Thankfully I dont have to speak about anything, the hard work had already been done without me there.

"Those in favour of a non-guilty verdict then light your wands." There was too many for me to count there and then but once they put their wands down I sucked in a breath and waited.

"In a vote of forty-nine to fifty-one the defendant is found Guilty." Lots Of people started shouting and I was in shock, I was going to Azkaban, I could see Minnie looking at me and she was the only person I could look at right now. She was a constant in a sea of chaos, as I took a look at my family I felt numb.

"Even though you have tried to make amends by helping out the side of the light it still does not absolve you of everything you have done. So that's leaves us with a task of your sentencing. Your are hereby given a thirty-six month suspended sentence with time served, you will also be on probation for that amount of time and have your magic bound for eighteen months with a review half way through that. Probation is contingent on you volunteering for something either in the Muggle world or the magical world." I looked at Shacklebolt who was sharing a look with my family who looked relieved I wasn't going to jail.

"Now do you have an address to stay in for the duration of your sentence?" I shook my head. But before I could say anything more Andromeda stood up and looked at me. In front of me was my Andi, the older sister who stood up for me at any given time as kids and even now all these years later she was coming to my rescue.

"She does Minister, she will be staying with my daughter, grandson and myself in our home." Kingsley nodded and I looked incredulously at Andi and could have cried. Kingsley ordered Auror Wilson to slap some magic suppressing cuffs on my wrists and I was declared free to go. Before I could say anything else Cissy, Andi and Sirius came over to me with the others following behind them and threw their arms around me. I broke down and sobbed like a baby in their arms. I don't know how long I was sitting like that for but once I lifted my head from them I noticed the courtroom was practically empty.

"Sorry to interrupt but the place is crawling with reporters so if you want to leave the back way I can take you." The Minister was leading us all away from the hustle of flashes we could imagine, as we made our way through the ministry to the ministers office Minerva asked to see me for a second. Narcissa, Hermione, Harry, Draco, Andi, Dora and Kingsley made their way out of the reception into Kingsleys office.

"Didn't I tell you I would see you after." I nodded and I couldn't help myself but I threw my arms around her and held her close to me allowing me to feel every single part of her I never thought I would see again. As I pulled away from her I made the mistake of looking at her, she smiled that true Minerva smile that very few got to see and held her hand on my face before leaning down for a kiss. Her lips pressed softly against mine for a few seconds before I responded and deepened it. She felt exactly the same as ever before and I pulled her body close to mine and we stayed kissing for a few more seconds before voice interrupted us and we broke apart.

"Oh little sister get a room!" Andromeda was smirking at us as we stood close to one another and slowly and reluctantly we broke apart fully from one another before walking into Kingsleys office to find the only ones left were Andi and Kingsley.

"Now, you are not under house arrest but you are not allowed to use magic obviously yourself but FLOOING and APPARATING is ok. You are not allowed to leave the country nor are you allowed to be use any dark magic for the remainder of your sentence." I nodded my head at the man who kept giving sly looks to my Now widowed sister and I stored that away in my brain for later on.

"Hogwarts as you know was damaged severely and so I think helping out with Hogwarts rebuild could be you volunteer work and then once that is done we can find you something else to do, sounds good?" I nodded my head at him and he held out his hand for me to shake and without any more delay I was whisked away to begin my second chance.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_—_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

As we landed in a living room I glanced around at my surroundings and it was lovely, a large open plan living room/kitchen with a staircase at the back of the room. It was very like Andi and when she stepped out behind me followed by Minerva I noticed no one else was here.

"Dora is collecting Teddy from Augusta Longbottom and then coming home, Cissy went with Hermione to her parents old house and Harry went to Malfoy Manor with Draco and a couple of Aurors to sort out the Dark Artefacts." I nodded and stood rooted to the spot when Andi suggested a tour. It was a large five bedroom house and showed me my room which was purple themed before showing me some clothes and the bathroom when I thanked her and told her I was going to get a shower.

I was left to my own thoughts and I couldn't believe the turn of events today, I was expecting to be sitting in a cell in Azkaban by the end of the day and considering I am now reunited with my sister and living with her not to mention kissing Minerva it was all too much and I started to breath really heavy. My vision started to cloud and I couldn't breathe, I was gasping and I thought it was pretty ironic I was going to die of a heart attack when a small hand held onto my shoulder.

"Bella! Breathe ok, your having a panic attack!" I shook my head at Hermione and I couldn't do it, I couldn't breathe and she placed her hand on my chest.

"Look! Breathe with me Ok!" Slowly she started to breathe and I began to calm down, once my heart and head were in sync again she smiled and got up off the floor before offering me a hand, I didn't even know I had fell to the floor.

"Sorry Hermione!" She shook her head at me before sitting on my bed and pulling out a file from that bloody bag.

"So now that your free I don't feel bad giving this to you." I looked at it and it had the name Alya Woods. I knew instantly what it was, she found my daughter. There was now something concrete to tell Minerva, she could now meet her, as could I.

"This is all I could find, your prison Hospital records were sparse but I did find the baby girl you gave birth too was taken to a Muggle orphanage. Richard and Veronica Woods adopted her and called her Alya Isabella Woods." She held the file out for me and there was a lot I didn't understand, and I looked up at her in confusion.

"She has enrolled in Oxfords September Class and from what I could gather she has flights booked for July so if you wanted to you could contact her then." I looked up and Hermione when she pulled something out of her pocket.

"I did find this, it's a Passport photo. Can I please tell Cissy what I have been doing?" I nodded At her and she let out a breath as I took the photograph. There was a young woman with long poker straight black hair, her eyes were a bright green and she was stunning.

"Can I ask who her father is? Her eyes are not the eyes of Lestrange...I am not even sure if this is possible but please tell me, is Minerva somehow the other half of her DNA?" I could only nod at her and let her know my deepest darkest secret and I knew I had to tell Minerva but I can't. Hermione didn't say anything more to me and just nodded her head.

"Thank you Hermione, I am forever grateful to you and all you have done." She nodded her head at me and gave me a hug before leaving me with the file to look at and for the rest of the day before I went to bed I stared into the face of my daughter and only hoped she would forgive me for giving her up, and Minerva would forgive me for withholding the truth of this for so long.


	12. ChapterTwelve

Chapter Twelve

A week passed since Bellatrix got acquitted and between Bella, Andromeda, Dora, Cissa and myself we still haven't been able to wake Remus. Sirius was in talks with the Unspeakables and apparently they had made a deal with him. They would let him have access to the Library in the Ministry if he managed to get Narcissa to join them, apparently her reputation preceeded her and once they found out about her being an Animagus she was perfect for surveillance. It was hilarious but he made the deal without talking to her first which made for some pretty hilarious entertainment.

FLASHBACK

"Come on Cissa! The Unspeakables are basically MI6 of the magical world, how cool is that, you will need something to keep you occupied when your little plaything is back at Hogwarts anyway!" Within seconds she scowled and had him upside down with his hands bound behind his back and stuck to the wall in front of her.

"See! Right there! That's why they want you, that fierceness and quick draw! You are practically royalty now that you helped destroy Voldemort and helped Kingsley out with all of that information about the Death eaters! You are the wealthiest witch in Britain along with the delectable Hermione. You are a war Hero who is on the Shortlist for an Order of Merlin and everyone is throwing you job offers left, right and centre. Why not take on one that you have wanted since you were in Hogwarts." She kept him up there for a while before Bella felt sorry for him and asked her to take him down. Their family and friends knew about her relationship with me now and we were both teased mercilessly about it.

"Come on Cissy! Don't be pissy! He got you a job. Take it and go be a cool spy for the Ministry." Needless to say her sister got a stinging hex to her hide when she said that. It ended up she agreed to take the job but she was taking a Vacation to Australia first, hence how we ended up sitting in the Ministry waiting on our Portkey. I would have loved to take her the Muggle way but a twenty seven hour flight would be too much for even me.

"Portkey for Granger..." A small pimply looking man came walking towards us with a skipping rope and I smiled and thanked him before taking each end of it. Narcissa sent Dobby ahead with her things and to get the small Villa prepared for them coming.

"You nervous?" I nodded my head and she smiled at me, it took everything in me not to kiss her. Technically we were not out with the general public yet but our friends and family know. Draco took it surprisingly well and as soon as his mother started teasing him about Harry it soon shut him up. I know for a fact both of them were just friends still, but they spent a great deal of time together and we both liked to tease them about it. The nerves were well and truly mounting, I wasn't even sure if we would find my parents but the fact that Narcissa was helping me made me feel really grateful.

"Leaving in ten seconds." As we held on tight to the Skipping rope I didn't really know what to think, I have never taken a Portkey that went further that this Country before. Cissa had warned me to prepare for some sickness but all in all just felt like another Portkey. All too soon I felt the familiar tug in the pit of my stomach and it felt like I was being pulled and pushed all at the same time. I landed on a soft patch of ground and a red-headed woman came to help me up, I stood and saw Cissa doing the same before turning to my assistant. She was quite tall and had long red hair that came to her hips.

"Thank You." She ushered us away from the spot we landed and took us over to a desk, I knew I was in the Australian Ministry and it was gorgeous, all glass and stone and surprisingly looked more modern than I was expecting, the red headed woman gave us a few forms to sign and we were now Visitors on an Australian Witches Visa. When I was planning my trip I was quite candid about why I was going to the Country and with a few strings pulled by Kingsley they granted my request to come and find my parents.

They offered one of their MLE Auror Force Officers but Narcissa and I were positive we could find them ourselves. After getting a Portkey to our Villa we were staying in that Narcissa owned and got from Lucius. It was beautiful apparently and nice and private that had wards that rivalled Hogwarts. As we landed to find Dobby standing in the Entrance Hall with Six other elves, he glared at Narcissa in a way that wasn't so much intimidating as it was cute.

"Mistress not be telling Dobby there be other elves, Dobby thought he would be special elf in looking after ex-Mistress and her Miss Grangy but others elves be bad and not letting Dobby help." Trying to placate the little elf was a full time job and although Narcissa was in shock she knelt down to Dobby and took his small hand in hers.

"Dobby I invited you here to help us, you alone because you are a special elf to me. I do apologise and I honestly had no idea I would have other elves at my properties." She stood to address the elves who were eyeing her with suspicion.

"Hello there, I am Narcissa Black who used to be a Malfoy, you can call me whatever you want, I am assuming you are loyal to the House of Malfoy?" They all nodded at her and one by one they stood to introduce temselves to her and the last one looked to be the most relaxed out of them all.

"I am Ellop and I be head elf. Looking after Malfoy house for long time, Mistress Narcissa no longer Malfoy but Black, Mistress be having Heir to Malfoy house?" Narcissa nodded her head at the little elf and she exclaimed she looked forward to meeting them before shooing the other elves and declaring to Dobby he may care for his Witches but the house was to be cleaned by Malfoy House Elves. The little elf seemed to take it in his stride and didnt say anything just popped away to put his groceries away and then we were alone. Once she turned to look at me I honestly had never seen her look so cute. She looked stressed and irritated but absolutely stunning. As she held her hand out for me I took it and she pulled me up toward the staircase.

It turned out she had never been to the Villa before either so it was new to her as well as me so as she took in the open space we found a large bedroon with a huge balcony and she smiled before walking in to it. She opened the doors and the place was stunning, it was right overlooking the beach and their closest neighbour was half a mile away. It was private, secluded and most of all theirs for the time it took to find Emma and Daniel Granger who were renamed Alison and Christopher Wilkins. There were four addresses under the Initials C Wilkins and so tomorrow they would start searching but today they woud take this time to spend with each other. I couldn't help myself but as I saw her standing at the open balcony doors I walked over and wrapped my hands around her waist.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" She smiled and turned to face me before leaning down and pressing her lips to my own which had the ability to make me weak in the knees. She let out a sigh and broke apart from me before going over to the bed and sitting on the bed.

"I think you should talk to your parents alone Hermione, when we find them and they get their memories back you should not have me around, they have been without you for all this time and now showing up and announcing that you are not only dating a woman but you are dating a woman who is nearly Twenty Years older than you might be a bit much for them to Swallow." I know our age difference is a little bit of an insecurity for her but there is no way I am keeping this from my mother and father.

"Darling, there is no way I am keeping this from my family, you are now a part of that family and I want them to get to know you. You are important to me. My parents will see that and considering they know me and raised me to be older that my years well, in all honesty they probably won't be too shocked." She didnt let me finish before she pulled me down for a kiss and we spent the rest of the day either, eating ,swimming or making love and I already knew I made the right decision in bringing her here, she keeps me sane.

\--

Back in London however Bellatrix was a completely different story, it had taken a long time for me to adjust to being free but having Andi around helped, I had found out that Alya had arrived in the UK and was now living in London. I would have loved Cissa and Hermione with me but with Andi, Severus, Harry and Draco had agreed to accompany me to the Address that was listed.

It turned out it wasn't a flat or house but a bar, all of us went in and found a booth to sit in. It was a very modern decor and younger clientele, I just had ordered drinks. When Minerva walked in she glared at me and I knew she hadn't forgiven me for telling her about Alya sooner and I couldn't help but think back to the night I told her.

FLASHBACK

I was full of nerves that much was true, I was going to tell her what I had found out, in all honesty I don't know how she was going to take it because it had happened to me and I still didn't truly believe it. Andromeda didn't really know what was going on but agreed to go out for the night and allowed me to spent the evening with Minerva and break the news to her. I made a pot of tea and didn't have the balls to do this sober and so as I heard the FLOO erupting I threw a small splash of Whiskey in my tea as she came around the corner.

"I hope you are planning on sharing the wealth of that bottle." I laughed slightly and put a splash in her cup and she sat down on the stool across from me as I took a large drink almost scalding my tongue as I did. I was unsure how I was going to start this conversation but it wasn't fair for her not to know.

"So why did you want to meet me tonight?" I shook my head and took out the file from under the bench to set it in front of me. She was curious about it but I just smiled at her and took her hand in my own.

"I have something that I need to tell you, umm do you remember the night I came to you, about five months before I was arrested? I was Crucioed and had a really bad time, all I wanted was to see was you, my safety, the love of my life." She smiled and nodded her head before placing one hand on my own and took a sip of her tea. My throat contricted and it took everything inside of me to get the words out, I know she isn't going to take it well and I just need to rip off that bandage.

"Well Something happened after that and it was scary, confusing and a part of me had squashed it down so I didn't think about it. I don't know if it was the Mark, or if I lost my mind and just tried to forget because it was too difficult." I opened the file and placed a photo in front of the love of my life and once her eyes flickered down to it the smile that was on her face fell completely, she let go of my hand and her fingers trailed across the photo gently and then her eyes snapped up to me in a glare.

"Who is this?" When I didn't answer her she slammed her hand on the table making me jump slightly, I had never really seen her like this? I hate myself for not telling her and I knew in that moment I made the wrong decision not to tell her straight away.

"BELLA! WHO IS SHE?" I then handed her the file because at this point my throat had closed completely and she opened it and was silent for a full five minutes as she looked through everything. A small tear fell down her cheek and it made me want to take her and kiss her before apologising on my hands and knees in front of her.

"Minerva?" She snapped her eyes back up before holding her hand up to me? I really needed her to come and see her, I needed to have Minerva with me when I went to find our daughter. We had a daughter together and so regardless of anything else we are in each others life.

"When I was arrested, I was five months pregnant. The baby was half me and half you. I tried to send you a letter in the prison but they wouldn't let me. They took her from me when I was in Azkaban? The dementors were enough to make me less human and I didn't want to tell you until I found her. She is here now, I am going to talk to her and I want you to come. She is your child too and you deserve to know her and she deserves to know there is goodness in her." Minerva couldn't even look at me and it stung more than I thought it was going to, she stood up and paced for a few minutes.

"You had five months to tell me, we could have ran away together, or if that didn't work I could have been her mother for seventeen years and you took that from me! I could have been there for her and told her about you and me and us? I mean she could have went to school with Harry, Hermione and Draco!" I know she was pissed but even I wasn't sure I knew how much.

"Can you please come with us in a few days and meet your daughter? I know you hate me but please don't take it out on her." She only nodded at me before she walked over and multiplied the file wandlessly before walking from the room and the FLOO erupting let me know she left. I was halfway through the bottle of Whiskey when Andromeda found me. I broke down and told her what happened and cried. I took comfort in the sister that I never thought I ever would see again, nor would want to see me again.

END OF FLASHBACK

As Minerva sat down and ordered a Whiskey she wouldn't even look at me, she started to converse with Harry and Sirius before Draco took my hand, I don't know if this is the right place but within two seconds music started behind us and Draco asked me where he thought she was, Sirius interrupted and pointed behind us.

"Umm...guys I think I found her." Small notes of someone singing interrupted us and as I turned my head my daughter was standing in front of me. She was dressed in a pair of jeans, nude heels and a Slytherin Green blouse. She was sitting at a Piano and playing beautiful notes and all of a sudden she began to sing and she sounded like an Angel.

"Well I knew

What I didn't want to know

And I saw

Where I didn't want to go

So I took the path less traveled on

And I'll let my stories be whispered

When I'm gone

When I'm gone

When I'm gone

When I'm gone

Well in this life you must find something to live for

'Cause when the darkness comes a callin'

You'll go back to where you were before

'Cause this life is as

Fragile as a dream, and

Nothing's ever really

As it seems

As it seems

As it seems

As it seems

Well I lost my innocence when in I let him dive

But the way that he looked at me

Made me feel alive

And now I know

Nothin' at all

But the release that comes when you're

In mid fall

In mid fall

In mid fall

In mid fall

'Cause in this life you must find something to live for

'Cause when the darkness comes a callin'

You'll go back to where you were before

'Cause this life is as

Fragile as a dream, and

Nothing's ever really

As it seems

As it seems

As it seems

As it seems"

Once she stopped singing everyone erupted and stood up, as we followed suit and stood to clap her eyes fell on me and I saw recognition. She knew who I was, she was smiling so that must have been a good thing. I knew she was shocked because underneath the smile she looked slightly bewildered.

"Thank you to our newcomer Alya." As she left the stage her eyes never left my own and as she walked toward me and stopped a foot in front of me. Her long dark hair sat the whole way down to her hips and those eyes that were so clearly Minerva bored into my soul.

"You found me? How did you know where to find me?" I was shocked for a second before she sat down at our table and waved to everyone. Minerva was smiling at her and I just shook my head. This is real, she is actually in front of me.

"A friend tracked you down, umm, you know who I am?" She nodded her head to me and asked for a glass of water. I really didn't know what to say to her but luckily she was happy enough to talk to me, unless that glass of water was going to be all over me.

"When my adopted parents died I tried to track down my birth parents and I found my birth certificate and I knew when I saw your name who you were. I thought I was crazy for choosing to come to England in the middle of a war but I found out what happened here and that the war was over. A friend of mine subscribed to your Daily Prophet and I have been following you. I mean not in a creepy way but just reading about what had happened." I nodded my head and laughed slightly at her American ramble.

"I do have one question but I mean its not that I am not grateful to meet you or anything but I am just curious, who is my father?" Everyone tensed at the table and glanced between Minerva and myself before Minerva came over to swap seats with Draco who was sitting beside Alya.

"Umm well, that's a bit complicated actually." She turned to face Minerva and it was when Emerald eyes met each other she looked between the two of us in confusion. The penny started to drop within seconds and she smiled at us both, I really wasn't expecting smiling from her to be honest.

"Oh thank god, I thought for sure that Voldemort was my dad but it's you? God I love magic but it's confusing. Not my dad? Mom? Ok, I was definately right this is complicated? Umm, look I would love to chat some more but I have another half set to do, is there anyway you would want to come back to my Apartment after? There is so much I wanted to ask you...both of you?" Both Min and myself nodded and she was tapped on the shoulder before excusing herself and making her way up on stage and a small glimmer of hope ignited within me when Min took my hand and nodded to me.

"She is stunning isn't she?" I nodded at her and I had never seen Minerva so emotional, not even our last night together, we had both missed out on all of these years with her because of my own stupidity but Minerva specifically missed out because of me being selfish, if she does forgive me I won't deserve it.

"I am sorry Min...I am sorry for not telling you." She shook her head and held fast onto my hand and I knew we could be ok. We sat for another hour before Alya came back down and introduced herself to everyone and we made our way out of the pub after Draco paying for drinks and made our way down the street.

"It's not too far so we can walk. So your Harry Potter I definately know who you are. Umm Andromeda my Aunt? Draco my cousin? Sirius my...what exactly are you?" Minerva didn't give her a chance to explain before interrupting.

"Idiot...he is everyones idiot." She smiled at Siriuss hurt face and pouted like the dog he was.

"You were my favourite Minnie now I am not sure we can continue with our friendship." All of us laughed at their witty banter and she sent a stinging hex to his arse without her wand. Alya interrupted us and looked at her mother with a smirk on her face that looked just like Cissy.

"Well he did come back from the dead! Nothing idiotic about that." Within a few seconds we arrived at a lovely four story building and she invited us in. we began to walk up a flight of stairs when an old elderly woman popped her head out of her apartment door and glared at us.

"Hello Mrs Peters how are you?" Her American accent twangs so much more that ours did and she just smiled at the old woman and ushered us upstairs, she muttered a few unlocking charms and took down a ward she had placed before opening the door and letting us in. It was wonderful, her living room and kitchen was open plan with a large bay window over looking the city, to my left there was a door and she sent everyones jackets there with a flourish of her wand.

"Anyone for coffee, tea, Wine?" All of us went for tea except Draco and Sirius who opted for Wine and we all made ourselves comfortable in her living room. I sat on the couch with Alya beside me and Minerva beside us as everyone spread around the room and a slightly uncomfortable silence emanated through the whole room and I look at my daughter and knew that I could never let her go again.

"So...I have so much to ask you? I know you were in Prison and your relationship is not common knowledge I am assuming?" Once we nodded to her she took another swig of her drink before tucking her legs underneath. I explained what happened and she surprisingly took it quite well.

"Were your adoptive parents nice?" She nodded her head at us all and lifted a Photo from behind her and handed it to me, a lovely muggle man and his wife stood with a little baby in their arms and she was so tiny. Just as perfect as I remembered her.

"They passed away when I was Fourteen, drunk driver, I was in the system for two years and then I was legally emancipated when I turned Sixteen and inherited my parents estate. I graduated from Ilvermorny and then got my no-maj GED and applied to Oxford and Cambridge to study medicine. Here I am." We spent three hours getting to know her before we left and she was coming over the following day to see us and get to know just Minerva and I a little bit better. Life felt complete now.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

It was a week after Bellatrix and Minerva found their daughter, in all honesty the whole thing was something I didn't understand, my own life however was a mess. I had been spending most of my time with Draco since the war ended and I was freaking out, we held hands and flirted and if this was a girl I would half know what to do but because it's a bloke well. It's a little bit more complicated.

"Hey, whats bowling?" As he walked into my room I couldn't help but smile, am I putting too much emphasis on things? Should I just wait and see what happens or should I talk to him about it.

"Umm bowling is a game that essentially you have a ball and pins and you have to knock them down, I will take you and show you soon." He nodded and before I knew what was happening he leant forward and kissed me, it was soft and over before I knew it and yet I felt more in that small chaste kiss than I ever did before.

"Just in case you were unsure, I like you Potter, so how about a date." I nodded and we spent the rest of the day kissing and talking and planning our first date. I was now dating Draco Malloy who would have thought.


	13. ChapterThirteen

**_Hey everyone, so it has been a while since I posted and truth be told, I wasn't sure whether I was going to post this chapter. The world is in a time of uncertainty and we all need to pull together. _**

**_I don't know about anyone else but throughout isolation, I have been reading other people's stories quite a lot and I am hoping that all of my readers will enjoy the next instalment. One thing I can be thankful for, the Coronavirus has given me more time to write. _**

**_BE KIND!! BE STRONG!! And BE SAFE!! _**

Chapter Thirteen

The early morning sun streamed in through the window of our home for the forseeable future and it truly was breathtaking, when I thought back to where I was just a few short months ago and look at my life now I wouldn't recognise me. Lucius had control of me, throughout the first war I knew everything my family was doing was wrong and I tried to leave once. I packed up Draco's things late one night to leave when Voldemort came back in his fourth year but I was caught.

Lucius found me and let's just say that conversation ended with me unconscious and a house elf patching me up. He very rarely used his fists, and even more rarely used both his fist and his wand in concession, this night however the brutality of his treatment was even more than anything he had ever done before. Everything was just so surreal and even though I know the war was over and I was now free, sometimes I expected to wake up in my old room in the manor and for this all to be a dream.

"What are you thinking about so heavily over there?" As I turned around and saw that big beautiful grin beaming at me I knew this was my new reality. She looked stunning in her ratty little tank top and as I walked over to the bed I couldn't help but straddle her hips and press her back down onto the mattress again.

"You are beautiful..." Needless to say it took a few hours to actually get out of bed, showered and back onto the mission at hand. We had been here a week and three addresses had came back to the wrong people. Today we were going to try another one that wasn't a business but a home on the outskirts of Perth.

As I packed my things into my bag and strapped my wand onto its holster on my wrist we made our way out to get breakfast although at this point it was practically lunch. When going to check out a new place Hermione was always as quiet as a mouse so, I just took her hand in my own and made our way to the restaurant.

Another hour of almost silence and we were walking up a narrow pathway to a beautiful bungalow that had all sorts of plants growing in it, as we walked up to the door I could see Hermione hesitation and I just grabbed her hand in my own and it was almost like I gave her enough courage to knock because her hand lifted and tapped out three knocks on the door. Four seconds passed and a woman in her thirties answered the door but I know it wasn't Hermione's mother and the disappointment hit me like a ton of bricks.

"All right love, can I help you?" Hermione was frozen and so I stepped forward all the while never letting go of Hermione's hands.

"Yes I am looking for Mr and Mrs Wilkins?" The woman nodded her head before looking downcast and shouted behind her.

"Monica, some folks here to see you love." Ten seconds later and a woman who looked the spitting image of her daughter appeared in the door and I thought Hermione's legs were going to collapse. She was almost shaking at this point and it took everything in me not to apparate her away from here.

"Can I help you?" Her English accent stood out from the previous accent of the Australian woman. Looking at the resemblance between Hermione and her mother was extraordinary but what struck me was the fact that she was a lot older than me. The fact that I was old enough to be her mother but Emma Granger or Monica Wilkins as she goes by now must have been in her fifties.

"Hello Mrs Wilkins, we are here on behalf of Rodgers, Wilson and Roe a solicitors in England, I was wondering if we could speak privately to you and your husband." The woman in question invited us in and the other woman looked downcast slightly and left, I can only assume it is because she was requested to leave.

"Come sit down please." As we sat down Hermione never once loosened her grip on my hand and I knew she was nervous. I would have to perform the spell to reverse her memories. Before it could go any further I figured there was no point in delaying the inevitable and waiting till her back was turned to make us tea.

"Memoratio restora." It was effective almost immediately as the woman's steps to the kitchen faltered and she slowly turned to us in the couch. Her eyes zeroed in on Hermione and the fog lifted. She was frozen for a second and small tears started to gather in the corners of her eyes as she took in Hermione's features.

"Hermione..." She practically ran to her daughter and for the first time she let go of my hand to hug her mother. They both cried and the older woman pulled back from her daughter to just drink her in. She smiled at her before frowning and hugging her again in quick concession.

"Oh you are in such major trouble young lady!" Hermione nodded her head at her mother and then looked up at her before smiling.

"Now you have your memory back, we can go do dad." Immediately her mother looked downcast before coming and taking her daughter to sit down. She knew something was wrong as did I. In a way I knew what was coming and I think Hermione did too as she was slowly shaking her head from side to side.

"Hermione, there was an accident a few months ago, your dad was really hurt and sweetie, he didn't make it." The elation of finding her mother soon wore off and she started crying again. Both women cried and I slowly excused myself without a word and walked out the front of the house to give them some privacy. I sat on a small swinging chair on the front porch and it took twenty minutes before the door opened again, I was surprised when it wasn't Hermione but instead her mother.

"Sorry to just abandon you there, Hermione is in the bathroom freshening up. She told me who you are, what happened in the war and everything in between. You saved my daughters life?" I squared my shoulders and wasn't going to let this woman intimidate me.

"Well technically she saved my life first Mrs Granger." A quick call me Emma was thrown around and we sat in uncomfortable silence for about five minutes before I plucked up the courage to say anything else.

"I am sorry about the loss of your husband." She thanked me before turning to look me square in the eye and I couldn't look away.

"I could see the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you and I want to say thank you. Allowing my daughter to know a love like that is extraordinary so thank you." I honestly expected her to tell me to stay away and I was too old etcetera but I was shocked beyond belief at the acceptance we were receiving.

A few minutes later and we were interrupted by Hermione who stepped out to find us both laughing at a story of Hermione as a child and I could tell she was relieved. We decided to stay for dinner and then the conversation turned heavy.

"So are you going to stay here or come home?" Hermione asked this with a slight fear in her eyes and in all honesty I felt it too. Just finding out her father had passed away I could see how much she wanted to cling to her mother.

"I probably will come home, I have to sort out the practice, sell the house and then sort everything else out. It will probably take some time maybe a year or so." She was relieved that her mother was planning to come home with her and it gave her the year for her studies when she went back to Hogwarts.

The following two weeks was spent with Hermione catching up with her mother, I did a little bit of shopping and research for my new job, my first assignment was finding a better security system for Azkaban. The unspeakable were legends in everything that did but no one understood exactly what that was and I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn't excited.

Throughout the rest of our time in Australia we all joined Emma at her yoga class and thankfully both Hermione and myself struggled with it. We were packing our bags to go home and Emma decided to come back to England for a holiday of her own and spend the rest of summer with her daughter, before coming back and leaving her life in Australia. As for me Well I had a job to start.

"Hey, you all packed?" I nodded my head and shrunk my bags so thay would all be easier to manoeuvre for Dobby. He had already taken Hermione and her mother's bags to their old home and was in the process of cleaning it and stocking it up for them arriving.

"Is your mother going to be ok portkeying such a large journey?" Hermione shook her head and flopped down on our bed before lifting her head up to meet mine.

"I did explain to her what it was going to feel like but she was happy enough, guess she will understand soon enough." I leant down to kiss her square on the lips and just as I straddled her hips the doorbell rang. Both of us groaned and stood up knowing it would have to wait till we went home.

"To be continued?" I nodded and lifted my last bag with bits and pieces I had forgotten to pack plus the books from the library that I wanted to bring home. As I went to swing it over my shoulder she took it from me and ran off toward the door.

"How chivalrous Miss Granger." Her laugher echoed off the walls as we finally made it to the door and Emma was in awe of the house. She was staring at everything with so much amazement, the moving portraits especially were causing her jaw to drop.

"This is your Home?" I shook my head at her and told her it was a holiday villa that I technically got in my divorce. She whistled before looking between Hermione and myself and shaking her head.

"Well Hermione if I didn't know you any better I would say you were gold digging..." Not thinking before I spoke it all just blurted out, I didn't know it would cause world war in the Granger Camp.

"Oh trust me, she doesn't need the money, she inherited enough when she got an inheritance test. I don't know whether she got it from your side or your husbands but she came into a lot of money." Hermione was glaring at me and her mother looked even more shocked at that, wow I definitely put my foot in it with her. I just assumed she told her mother about her inheritance...apparently not.

"Umm yeah...well turns out I am blood related to a bloodline that had been dormant for a while and because I am magical I could claim it. To be honest I have been ignoring it since it happened because it was terrifying." Her mother let it go for now but I knew they would probably be having a long conversation later on about it.

"So how does this portkey thing work?" Once she understood she did appear to be quite scared about it all but eventually she calmed down enough just as we were ready to go. A long metal pipe that is apparently used to fix things was handed to me and within five seconds we were gone.

"Oh sweet baby Jesus!" Emma fell to her knees and started gasping for breath but surprisingly didn't vomit. It took her a few seconds before she came back to normality and attempted to stand up with Hermione and my help.

"That was incredibly unpleasant...you all do that all the time?" We shook our heads and Hermione explained about appiration and she didn't seem too keen on that either to be honest. I soon went to leave the mother and daughter to get settled in and reacquainted.

"Can we meet tomorrow?" I nodded at Hermione and she leant forward and pressed a kiss to my lips before I responded in full and left her smiling. As I apparated into the foyer of Andromeda's house all hell was breaking loose.

"Sirius put me down! You are lucky as hell I don't have my magic." Bellatrix was hanging upside down from a rope on the ceiling, Harry and Draco were sporting red and green hair respectively and Andromeda was cackling in the corner with wings sprouting from her back.

"Oh come on Bella it's just a bit of fun..." She was trying to get loose and luckily for her she spotted me and smiled, everyone else's line of sight soon turned to my own and thay all smiled also.

"I leave for a few weeks and chaos ensues?" All of them laugh and Draco threw his arms around me followed by Harry who then immediately took Draco's hand and I was happy my son had found someone to make him happy.

"Cissy please tell them to let me down!" I muttered the counter spell and placed a cushion charm on the floor just as she met it and she glared at me before I hit Sirius with a full body bind and let him take Bellas place. As I made my way upstairs to unpack and prep my washing I had to do, I was about to touch the bathroom door when it swung open and a young woman walked out. I knew instantly who it was even with the American Flag outfit she had on. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw me and to be honest so did I.

"Hi...you must bee Narcissa? I hope you don't mind but Bella told me I could use your bathroom considering Dora is stuck in the other one. Sirius went completely overboard with the pranks and charmed basically everything in my wardrobe to change to the American flag. Dora has been trapped in the bathroom for half an hour and I think Bella was left attached to the ceiling when I left." She was rambling and nervous and in all honesty I thought it was cute.

"You must be Alya?" She nodded her head at me and in that moment I could see she was a perfect mix of Bella and Minerva and she was stunning. Her photo did not do her justice, I had only managed to write a few times to my family whilst I was in Australia, it was mostly to Draco to be honest.

"Yeah that's me, umm I have been trying to open the bathroom door from the other side to get Sirius back...I was thinking maybe putting a grey dye charm on his shampoo?" I laughed and with a flourish of my wand, all locked doors became unlocked and the girls clothes went back to normal, a blue T-shirt and jeans with a pair of boots. She seemed impressed by my show of non-verbal magic but before she could say anything else we were interrupted.

Nymphadora came barrelling down the corridor and waved at me and gave me a hug before she took off in the direction of the living room tripping as she went and was able to right herself before she got to the stairs. I just shook my head and laughed beford Alya soon followed albeit at a slower pace. I spent an hour upstairs sorting everything out before a knock to the door interrupted me and my son walked in.

"Well did you have a good time in Australia? Considering the circumstances?" I nodded and we sat on the edge of my bed and he held onto me and hugged me tighter than I think he ever has.

"I did, it was nice, being free to do whatever I wanted. Spending time with Hermione as a couple without anyone watching us, or watching me I should say waiting on me throwing a Crucio at them." He nodded and understood, ever since the battle at Hogwarts the Wizarding Public were wary of me. It seems Draco also has had similar experiences, however for the first time in his life he has no pressures to be or do anything.

"So you and Mr Potter? What's going on there? I am not blind my boy...you like him in that way yes?" He nodded his head and actually blushed, I don't think I have ever seen my son blush before, I was not naive enough to believe he had never dated before but I know for a fact he had never been with a man and I couldn't help but draw parallels between me and my son.

My relationship with Hermione was so new and also a same sex relationship, Hermione had never been with a woman until myself and from what I have seen neither has Mr Potter nor Draco been with someone of the same sex either, it is interesting how things have worked out in the long run.

"I really like him, he likes me and we only decided last week to give it a go, we knew there was something there but neither one of us knew what that was, no one other than family know and I want to keep it that way, much like you and Hermione." I nodded my head in understanding and it was right there when I knew my son had officially grown up and into himself.

"I am happy for you darling, you deserve to have happiness in your life and if Mr Potter provides that then I have no issues with it." He nodded his head and hugged me before we sat and talked about everything that I missed.

"What about Alya? Do you like her?" He nodded his head and then told me the story of how they met her, apparently her singing voice was incredible. It as good to see Bella happy...she deserved it after everything hat has happened. We spoke about everything we could for the next hour before the door flew open and Sirius sauntered into the room.

"Cousin. Where is your little plaything." I immediately went to whip out my wand when he jumped up in surprise and yelped before landing back on his feet in front of the bed.

"Sirius Black, that is no way to speak to a lady, do not make me wash your mouth out with toad water and soap!" Minerva walked into the room and over to me before giving me a small hug and chasing the boys out of the door claiming women's business.

"Not that I mind the intrusion Minerva and I can guarantee I could get big money for that memory but what can I do for you?" She smiled at me before she asked to sit down, Minerva McGonagall was the only other woman who made the baddest of men squirm at the raise of an eyebrow and yet was sitting in front of me like a kitten, looking so nervous.

"Well I have to ask you a favour, I did broach the subject with Draco but apparently due to some dodgy dealings of your ex-husband trying to avoid the clink you are the Owner of the Black and Malfoy fortunes? The head of the families?" I let out a laugh at her trying to stand on principle and treating me with the respect my station deserves.

"Yes, once Draco wants to take over Malfoy Enterprises he can, I am just holding his assets and business for him whilst he goes back to Hogwarts." She beamed at me and nodded her head before nodding her head.

"Ok, well then I want to ask you something...Draco was the best in his year at Potions...do you think he will perhaps want to apprentice for Horace in his seventh year? There will be a job waiting for him afterward as a Potions Master? I know he had his business waiting fo him but if needs be would you oppose to him doing something else?" I was momentarily confused, why was she asking me and not my son. There was no need for her to stand on ceremony and come to me with this.

"Umm...well I think he would love that opportunity, I am unsure what his plans were after he graduated, he has hated the entire Business and has let it be known he is not in any way looking forward to. He has never wanted to be in Lucius shoes and be a businessman, i don't care what he does. I suppose he loved potions so I can't see him saying no." She nodded her head at me and smiled before looking even more serious at me.

"I am also planning on asking Hermione if she would be interested in an apprenticeship under myself in her Seventh year. Both Hermione, Draco, Harry and Neville could pass their courses with their eyes closed. Mr Weasley is not planning on coming back to Hogwarts and is taking Kingsley up on his offer to join the Aurorcorp, Mr Longbottom has also been offered an apprenticeship under Pomona and I know Mr Potter will be offered and apprenticeship under Severus who had decided to come and help me out as a Defence Professor. Both of them might kill one another but Harry is more that competent in the subject. There is only four other Eighth years coming back." I nodded my head and it was almost like she was waiting for my approval.

"Well one thing is for certain, Hermione is going to hit the roof, in a good way at the prospect of being able to apprentice for you. They have witnessed too much to simply go back to school as students." She nodded at me before taking her tea that had appeared.

"They will get their own common room, unlimited access to Hogsmeade and with a bit of luck they will have not only their N.E.W.T's but also a Mastery at the end of the year." We continued talking for a while before she excused herself and I walked her down to the foyer.

As I said goodbye to her it suddenly dawned on me what was going to happen, Hermione was going to be gone for a full year, she would be living in the castle. Rationally I knew that but it had all of a sudden became all too real and then the old doubts and insecurities came to me.

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It felt strange leaving her, for the past few months she had been a constant in my life and I had came to rely on having her near me. If this is what I am like now what way is it going to be when I go back to school? It was amazing spending time with my mum but I missed her.

Apparently my mother had taken up Yoga whilst in Australia and was currently trying to teach me, as per usual she was struggling, I think both of my parents knew I was never going to be sporty and for the most part that was ok with them both, so why my mother tried to talk me into this was beyond me. I sat on a yoga mat with my legs crossed and restless as I tried to get into a meditative state. My mother looked so zen and as I cracked my eye open she was looking at me impatiently.

"Ok what's going on?" I could always talk to my mother, she always knew what to say but now that I am an adult and actively engaging in a remantic relationship it's different.

"What do you Mean?" She just huffed and relaxed her posture slightly before handing my a water bottle, it has been so long since I had seen those eyes look at me like she did right now.

"Ever since she left you have been miserable...now I know you are glad to spend time with me but if I didn't know better I would say you were having withdrawal symptoms." I was pleasantly surprised with how well my mum took to Narcissa and my relationship but as hard as she was trying it felt different.

"I am going back to Hogwarts in September, she is going to be here and what if she realises that I am too young and uninteresting. We have this insane vibrant connection when we are together but what if it withers when we are apart?" She came and sat beside me and held onto me.

"Hermione I am not going to pretend to understand because this whole situation is pretty unique, however, you said it yourself, your connection with Narcissa is beautiful, I could see it and so can other people by the sounds of it. I love that you are speaking to me but, you should be talking to her about your fears? That is the key to any relationship...communication." I knew she spoke the truth and so she startled me slightly when she bounced up onto her feet in a surprisingly fast way and pulled me to my own feet.

"You have never been in a proper relationship before and it seems to me neither has she, her husband abused her and used her for his own personal gain, it going to be a learning curve for both of you. Come on lets go! To see her, I will come and reacquaint myself with your friends and meet her family?" I just smiled at her and hugged her as tight as I possibly could and was never so glad to have her with me as I am now. She locked the doors from the inside and I warned her of what apparating felt like and we were off.

After landing on the solid ground I was wrapped in a ferocious hug from Harry and he held on for dear life whilst my mum caught her breath. I could see Draco and Severus standing just behind him and it was a strange combination but from Harry's letter I knew the potions master had turned over a new leaf and the relationship between the blonde Slytherin and my best friend had turned from friends till something else entirely.

"Hermione! Welcome back! Mrs Granger it's good to see you again!" She nodded to my friend and also reciprocated the hug he gave her before he introduced her to everyone and I excused myself to go and find Narcissa. It didn't take very long, she was sitting in the kitchen with a book in front of her and a cup of coffee in her hands, she looked so at peace and absolutely stunning. It seems she was so engrossed in her book because she didn't even hear me walk over to her, I placed a small kiss on the back of her neck causing her to jump out of her skin.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" I went to answer her but she just kissed me square on the lips and pressed me against the counter. All I could do was kiss her back as enthusiastically as I could. It took us a while but we broke apart and I just rested my forehead against hers.

"I missed you, I also wanted to talk to you. I had a bit of a freak out and just needed to see you. Can we go somewhere and talk?" She nodded her head and took me upstairs to a bedroom that felt safe and warm. As she sat down I couldn't help but start to pace around the room.

"So I have known it's coming but it seems it just literally hit me an hour ago, we are going to be apart for the full school year..." she went to open her mouth and speak but my motor mouth wouldn't stop.

"I mean, I don't know if I can be away from you for that length of time, also you are going to be working at the ministry what if you meet someone else, what if you get bored of me, I am sorry is it warm in here." I immediately took off my jumper and she stood up to kiss me and stopped me in my tracks.

"Hermione breathe..." I did just that and focused on her eyes which were boring into my own and I felt all of my fears dissipate as she looked at me.

"I too started to have a little bit of a panic also much the same fears as you also, we will have weekends and holidays and no offence to you my darling I could never be bored of you, no one else would ever be able to capture my attention." She pushed me closer to the bed until I was sitting at the edge and she was towering over me.

"I don't have all of the answers right now but I have fallen so hard for you Hermione, no one and nothing is going to change that." She pressed me into the mattress and all of my fears were long gone, we would be fine and it was then I realised she loves me.

"I love you too..." We spent an hour proving exactly how much we loved each other, it wasn't until Bella popped her head into the room and interrupted us, I scrambled to cover us both with a sheet and the older black sister just winked at us.

"Oh little sister, I am so proud." I just rolled my eyes and Cissa scowled at her and her invasion of privacy, she really didn't have any sense of propriety did she?

"Well as much as I would love to leave you both up here to engage in your vigorous love making ,it seems we have a development on Remus. I think we know how to wake him up. Let's go lovebirds." We just stood up and threw on our clothes and made our way downstairs to try and fix some more mistakes of the past. Hermione's hand never left mine and I felt utterly blessed to have her.


	14. ChapterFourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Once we had gathered ourselves together and gotten changed we made our way downstairs to find Andromeda with an ecstatic Dora and Daphne Greengrass of all people. I remembered sharing a few classes with the Blonde Slytherin but nothing specific, Narcissa smiled at her and gave her a huge hug which had my hackles up slightly if I was being honest.

Daphne had always been the prettiest girl in our year without a doubt, the boys wanted to be with her and the girls wanted to be her and yet she never flaunted it nor bothered with anyone other than her best friend Tracey Davis who was also standing in the entrance hall.

"Lady Black, I am sorry to just arrive here. Luna Lovegood told me what happened to Professor Lupin, is it true that you can't wake him?" She nodded her head and invited the two girls to come in. Tracey Davis was also a very pretty girl and when Daphne grabbed a hold of her hand I felt my eyebrows shoot up.

It seems the two Slytherin preferred the company of woman and I for one was ok about that...obviously. My mother walked in with Sirius, Harry and Draco and when they saw the visitors they smiled at each other. Draco immediately went to hug the two girls and he introduced them to everyone, they smile at my mother and it was there and then I knew they didn't hold the same prejudices as most of their housemates.

"I wouldn't intrude if it wasn't important, I saw what spell hit Professor Lupin, it was an everlasting sleep spell, I found the actual spell in my family Library." What is with these families having actual libraries through their generations, I know technically I am one of those families now that I have my inheritance but still. She lifted out a small book and tapped it with her wand causing it to expand on the coffee table.

"It is a very dangerous and highly illegal spell, the reversal is also quite questionable. All in all not a dark spell but it does have some dark properties, in order to reverse it well...it won't be easy. If I have read this correctly it will require the blood of his true love, the hair of a blood relative and well because of his affliction the saliva of a werewolf, it can't be his own unfortunately." All of us looked around the room at the girl in front of us and I was suspicious, why would she help us out of the goodness of her own heart especially considering it was such a dangerous and dark heavy spell.

"Professor Lupin was always kind to me, he never treated me any different to that of the other houses, considering his past he had every right to. I want to help...too many people have lost too much because of this war." We all nodded and Dora walked over to the girl who had obviously gone out of her way the past few days to try and help her family.

"Thank you!" She nodded at the metamorph and lifted out a vial of something before handing it to the young auror in front of her. All of us were momentarily confused for a second before she continued on.

"My family was neutral throughout the war but that didn't mean Great Uncle Stefan was in any way light, he passed away and because my father is dead and my mother had divorced him before he died, both of their estates and everything in them belong to me. I found this when I was clearing out his things last year." It was werewolf Venom and at this point I could kiss her, it was then I remembered my inheritance test.

"I might be able to help also, I am related to Remus, third cousins or something but regardless knock yourself out." Dora then held out her arm to her mother and asked to extract her blood.

"If it doesn't work then we know I am not his true love and we are back to the beginning." I really hoped it worked because it would destroy this strong woman in front of me if her husbands true love turned out not to be her. Daphne went to leave but we shook our heads at her and invited both girls to stay.

"This is a family matter, I will make my leave." Harry became adamant and both girls just nodded their heads and got taken on a tour by the two boys whilst Narcissa flooed Severus. We needed a Potions master and fast. Two seconds later and he walked into the room right through the fireplace. My mother was just standing out of the way and listening in but not interrupting.

"Prey tell do you people have nothing better to do with your time than to bother me." He was then explained the situation and got taken by the hand toward the kitchen where a small potions lab was set out with all of the ingredients he needed and the book. He stopped abruptly and turned to look at Dora who currently had little Teddy strapped to her chest.

"This is a very dark potion Nymphadora, are you sure? I do not know the consequences of this. It might wake him but I don't know in what state or condition." She nodded her head and agreed that she would do anything.

"My husband is currently in an everlasting sleep and my son misses his father...please Severus help us." He nodded his head and said we would have to leave him to his brewing. Tonight was the full moon and would be the best time to do it. Whilst under the effects of the spell Remus has not transformed into the wolf. It was like his body was frozen.

"Come on lets go..." My mother decided to peruse the family library with a huge smile on her face. Once we had dropped her off we were walking down the corridor when we were met with Minerva, Bellatrix and Alya coming in the opposite direction. All three of them smiled at me and it was rather strange to see it, the young woman had Bellas full and pouty lips but had Minerva soft and crooked smile.

"Hey what's happening?" Bellatrix looked concerned as Minerva was peering over my shoulder where Severus walked across from the pantry to the kitchen again.

"I saw tall, dark and broody is here...damn can that man rock a cravat. He is like Count Dracula the sexy edition." All of us looked at the girl in question with a mixture of revulsion, amusement and horror to which she just laughed at us.

"What!? He is hot in that dark and dangerous way." I like this girl, it was scary how much she looked like her mothers. When our expressions got worse she decided to just shake her head and walk away from us and toward the potions lab our illustrious Potions Master went to a second ago.

"That girl is either going to break Severus resolve or his mind." As we looked at Minerva and Narcissa who found the entire thing funny whereas Bella and I seem to be repulsed and horrified in that concession. We spent the rest of the afternoon with the Darker black sister and her former lover. Their relationship had thawed considerably since finding Alya and the small feather light touches between the two women were not in any way subtle.

"When does Severus think he is going to be done?" We both just shrugged our shoulders at Bellatrix and all we could do was wait.

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As I walked into the room all I could hear was the mixing of a potion, the clink of the stirrer on the edges of the brass cauldron took me back to my days in Ilvermorny. Severus hadn't noticed me yet or if he had he didn't say anything. It was by my vantage point at the door I was allowed to actually look at him.

He was by no means a soft man and in all honesty I don't know what is drawing me to him, it's almost like a Veela trance and yet I know he isn't Veela. He has that tall, dark and mysterious thing entwined with danger. Considering his history that makes sense.

"Why don't you make yourself useful instead of just lurking in the doorway?" His voice made me jump and although it had a biting tone it fell from his mouth like honey. I walked slowly over to the opposite side of the table and he held out a small angled blade and some liver hornets for me to slice.

"What makes you think I know what to do? I could mess it up." He let out a sigh and flourished his hand and produced a copy of New York's Annual Conference List. I nodded my head and understood immediately to which he almost sneered.

"Neither of your mother's have any brewing ability and so the fact that you were not only the youngest recipient of a mastery ever but you were also asked to speak at the Annual Conference because of your discovery of Valerian Root in Pepper Up potion is a miracle on itself." I soon took the blade and the liver hornets before smirking at him.

"You looked me up? Wow some would say you had a little crush on me?" He shook his head looked at me before continuing to flawlessly make his potion without breaking eye contact with me.

"Minerva is one of my oldest friends, I wanted to A, make sure you weren't a psycho which considering you also have half of Bellas DNA it was a huge possibility and B, suss you out. I was pleasantly surprised. Your mothers do not know about your potions mastery? Why?" I just shook my head and began to work away at preparing his ingredients, I honestly don't know why I didn't tell them. They have been so wonderful and had exceeded my expectations as far as birth parents go, minus the whole murdering, terrorist thing but all in all they were fun. They had been more interested in getting to know me and that was refreshing, most people always saw me as poor little orphan girl and I needed something other than that.

"I just want to get to know them first, we haven't really spoke about school or anything. I am starting the September intake for Medical School in Oxford and on the weekends I am apprenticing at St Mungos. There is a lot of variables for me to consider, I packed up my whole life and moved to another country. Found my birth parents which is two of the most formidable warrior women of the past five decades, I think I have enough to worry about without slipping into conversation my achievements." All he did was nod at me and I just continued to chop and dice.

We just continued to brew and talk about a whole dose of topics. Severus Snape was a genius, I would be lying if I said a little crush was developing. I knew for a fact that it wouldn't ever be reciprocated. He let out a sigh at me for the moment and turned to look at me? His eyes darker than ever before.

"Why are you going to Oxford? You are a witch , a very bright and talented one and you should be living and working in the magical world. It is absolutely baffling to me that a witch of your calibre wants to study muggle medicine." I smiled at him and in all honesty my friends had the same reaction in Ilvermorny when I decided to leave and go to study No-maj medicine.

"I want to incorporate the two, non magical medicine has evolved so much and yet magical medicine barely uses Blood transfusions, it could save so many people. The Magical Community relies on magic too much. I want to create a way that non magical and magical medicine is used in concession with one another. That's the future. Your wars over blood is stupid, it's time to move forward and embrace each other." He shook his head at me and went back to his potion, it was a few minutes before we spoke again but the barrow one broke me out of my chopping.

"That is a very dangerous way of think Alya...some people would not appreciate your advanced way of thinking. I know Americans move faster than us here in Britain but that kind of thinking here can get you killed." I didn't understand the entire thing.

The understanding that pure magical blood can make you feel superior than those of non-magical people is just ludicrous to me. Even Bella now in her right mind is a completely different person than who she was when she first joined a Voldemort's cause.

"I am just so confused by the whole situation. Why do people care what kind of blood we have? I have the same colour blood as Hermione, she is the smartest witch of her generation and she is from No-maj or no sorry muggleborn descent. Is that not proof enough that it doesn't matter what family your from or what blood you have. What the hell is the big deal?" He shook his head at me and I couldn't help but smile at the amused expression on his face.

"There is that Scottish fire you get from your mother, I was beginning to wonder when I would see Minervas side to your personality. Just enough snark and rant that I lost myself for a moment and thought I was being scolded by her." Everything in his expression was full of amusement, which I am told is uncharacteristic for the man. He has been nothing but reserved ever since the first time I met him. The flirting I have been throwing his way, he hasn't even batted an eyelid. Hearing him talk about my mother made me feel happy she had a friend like him.

"Am I not like her in any other way? I am just curious...I feel like I have been walking with blinkers on because I was so happy to meet them, see them, actually know they exist and who they are." He nodded and stopped what he was doing to turn and look at me.

"You are a perfect mix between them in appearance but in personality you have a fire in you...also a the right balance of Bella darkness." He took a step around toward me which would in any other circumstances caused me to get nervous, I wonder if he could detect my nerves at his proximity. If I was being honest with myself I was worried when he said darkness.

"Minerva is a true Gryffindor lion, all action and no thought put into it. Considering the way you walked on in to this room with me when others would be terrified shows me you have her impertinence and brawn. Bella is a little bit trickier." His voice was like silk and honey mixed together and it was there and then I knew I most definitely had a crush on the dark Potions master.

"She had been through so much blood purity idiocy by the time she could walk that it was ingrained in her, growing up in the Black family was not a pleasant experience, ask Sirius, Andromeda or even Narcissa and I can almost guarantee they had the same upbringing...brutal and unyielding. Almost everyone born into the Black family have some darkness inside of them. You chose how to use that, Bella chose wrong. Once she was sorted into Slytherin well, all bets were off." I nodded my head at him and he spent an hour talking to me and brewing before it was ready, we bottled it and even some extras before making our way to the living room again.

Dora, Andromeda, Narcissa, Hermione and Sirius was in the room and when I handed the potion to the young mother she smiled and hugged me before running upstairs to try and wake the man. Andromeda and Sirius followed them with both of us going back to clean up. If anything I think I had found a kindred spirit in Severus Snape, not just the gigantic crush I thought I had.

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We were walking down the corridor as Dora came rushing passed and I knew she had the potion ready, Hermione and I walked with her toward Remus bedside and Sirius soon followed with Andromeda. The man in question was lying on one of the beds in a spare bedroom. Both Hermione and I took stood at the back of the room to allow for privacy, Andromeda stepped up to her daughters side as Sirius took his friends hand in his own on the other side.

"Are you ready darling?" Dora nodded her head at her mother and poured the potion down Remus throat, there was a small incantation and a flash of white light and slowly his eyes opened. It took him a few seconds but his eyes adjusted and landed on Dora. There was a huge shit eating grin that erupted onto his face and he pulled her in for a huge kiss.

"Merlin Moony, stop mauling my little cousin." His head snapped around and landed on Sirius, he stared in disbelief at him for a second and he started to cry. He reluctantly let go of his wife and pulled Sirius in for a huge hug.

"How is this happening? How are you alive?" He held onto his friend and shook his head just as Severus came into the room with Alya trailing in behind him. Sirius explained what had happened with Bellatrix, Severus, Narcissa and Draco and to say he was shocked was an understatement.

"Seriously McGonagall and Lestrange?" Before anyone could say anything Minerva walked into the room and I felt it was getting a bit crowded, Andromeda stepped away to the wall with us.

"What exactly is so wrong with that picture Mr Lupin?" Minerva McGonagall could put the fear of Merlin into the strongest of people and it seems a fearsome Werewolf was no different as he shrunk down the bed slightly under her infamous glare.

"Nothing it's just up until two minutes ago I always thought Bellatrix Lestrange was a crazy, homicidal death eater and now I find out you both had a relationship and have a grown up child together. It's a bit hard for me to adjust slightly, give me ten minutes." We all laughed at him as the woman in question walked in With Teddy, the baby was playing with a necklace she was wearing and smiling. Bellatrix just smiled at the younger man and held Teddy out for him.

"Welcome back to the land of the conscious Mr Lupin, your little boy has missed his daddy." She handed him the baby and he just kept looking in disbelief at the whole room. The room was getting even more crowded when Harry and Draco showed up and the former ran toward Remus to throw his arm around him.

"Oh Harry, I am so glad you are ok?" He nodded and we all decided to leave and give the reunited family some time together. It was good being reunited again, even Severus was quickly becoming a part of the family. Remus was given the same potion as Sirius and Severus and his hatred and animosity was gone. The three were dare I say it friends.

It was time for the first full moon since Remus woke up and he was sitting in the cellar, he had taken his wolfsbane and Sirius was parked as Padfoot alongside his best friend. Once he found out that myself and Severus were also Animagus he asked us to join him. The week leading up to the full moon we shifted and spent as much time allowing Remus to adjust to our animals scents as possible.

It was a strange sight to behold, there was a black grim, Snow White wolf, a brown wolf and a large Andalusian horse sitting in the room waiting. Alya walked over to Severus and ran her hand down his neck and he was embarrassed but she just shook her head and winked at him, if my friend would let himself I do believe they could be very happy together.

We waited and waited and once the moon came up, we were expecting the change to happen almost instantaneously but it never came. Instead of the wolf, Remus continued to sit in his human form. Sensing there was no danger Sirius changed back into himself followed by the rest of us one by one.

"What the hell is going on? Not that I am complaining but why am I not a wolf right now?" Severus shrugged his shoulders at all of us and it was as if a lightbulb came on and he unbolted the door with his wand and ran upstairs.

Remus didn't feel comfortable leaving just incase so he stayed with Sirius in the cellar and Hermione and I followed Severus out. Everyone looked questioningly at us all as we ran through the living room. Severus was gone in a shot and we explained what had happened and Alya had the same expression and ran off toward Severus Potions Lab.

What the hell were we missing? Why were they acting weird? We waited for a few minutes before Severus came out and was actually smiling, everyone was freaked out but Alya came out also and smiled at us.

"Ok you two look so creepy what happening? What went wrong?" Dora was pissed and walked towards them both and it seriously looked like she was gonna punch one or both of them if they didn't start talking.

"Nothing went wrong Nymphadora, Remus is no longer a werewolf, the potion and spell cured him, which component I am not sure but he is no longer going to turn. Call it a side effect of what we did to wake him up." Everyone shook their heads in disbelief and none more so that Harry.

"A side effect is excessive drooling or headaches but your telling me it's cured him of his Lycanthropy?" They both nodded again and Dora smiled and ran down to the cellar. I heard screams of disbelief and excitement before Remus came running upstairs and threw his arms around Severus who looked partially uncomfortable but excited.

Time moved quickly after that, I started my job and had designed a better way to keep Azkaban habitable, captured any remaining Death Eaters and put them in a place where they can't hurt anyone, the cells had been modified and place with an anti magic barrier around it. There is a massive cavern at the bottom of the prison that is encoded with a charm that has an endless supply of good memories. With the help of Filius Flitwick and surprisingly Bellatrix we modified a pensieve to allow endless good memories to shoot out and keep the dementors happy. The memories were voluntary from the prisoners but they weren't effected by their proximity anymore.

Some people think it is more that they deserve but regardless, the death eaters will never leave their prison cells ever again. Next we helped everything rebuild, it was the night before Draco, Harry and Hermione were due to go back to school, they were looking forward to it and had all of their supplies. Emma Granger flew back to Australia the night before to sell her home and practice. Remus had been offered a place with the Aurors along with Dora and Sirius. Alya had started her orientation with the Medical School and my sister was opening a nightclub.

It came as a surprise to all of us when Bella bought the Leaky Cauldron with her dowry, when Harry annulled her marriage she received a good lump sum and the Property went on sale after Tom decided to retire. Apparently she wanted to open a nightclub with two sides, she actually got the idea from her daughter, she wanted to incorporate the muggle and magical world a little bit more. So the club would be split in two. On the muggle London side there would be a club open to the muggles and on the Leaky side there would would be one open to the magical world. In the middle is a place for the two to combine, only employees could use magic and the muggles all think it's fake magician stuff anyway.

It looked amazing, everyone helped her and she hired a team of Goblin contractors to help get it up and running. They deemed it a worthy investment and had happily helped out, Bella was adamant about opening before the kids went back to school and she actually pulled it off. As I stood in my room trying and failing to decide what to wear the door knocked and Draco knocked at my door, as he came in he smiled at me and gave me a hug.

"Please tell me you are wearing more than a slip and robe." I smiled at him and nodded before he walked over to the bed and handed me my black dress and blood red heels.

"There perfect, Hermione wont know what hit her." I shook my head at him and I couldn't help but think if I didn't know my son was attracted to men I would have found out there and then.

"Thank you my darling, are you excited to go back to school?" He nodded his head and he and told me he was excited for the normalcy, he hasn't had much of that in the recent years and I am glad he would be having a normal and monotonous year at school. Once I placed my shoes on and trapped my bag he offered me my arm and I could see Hermione already standing with her back to me, hearing the click of my heels must have startled her because she turned so quickly and her jaw dropped slightly.

"Wow..." Draco smirked at my blush and we made our way downstairs to Harry and Hermione.

"Wow yourself..." I took in her outfit and couldn't help myself, I pressed a kiss to her lips which quickly turned heated.

"Alright Granger stop mauling my mother." She turned to glare at him and we were joined by Sirius and his date for the evening...Amelia Bones. They had been dating about two weeks now and things were going well apparently. Bella, Alya, Severus and Minerva were meeting us along with the Lupins. Molly has offered to babysit along with Arthur.

"Don't be jealous..." He quickly pulled Harry in for a kiss and then smirked at Hermione.

"No reason to be jealous..." Both of them just turned from one another. Harry was escorting me and Draco was escorting his mother. The rest of the Wizarding World didn't know about us yet and we wanted to keep it that way. The last thing I wanted was Hermione relieving stick from her school mates because of our relationship but the people who were important to us found out.

"Everybody ready?" We all nodded and soon apparated to the club. We arrived in the entrance hall and music was pumping, there was a queue a mile long and it was in full swing. Charlie and Bill had volunteered to be bouncers for the magical side as Bella hadn't made up her mind yet on her hiring for the magical side. Flashbulbs started going off and the Press were all standing in a cordoned off area.

"Lady Malfoy, Miss Granger. Over here. Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy, please one comment please." God this is insane. Draco stood forward looking every bit as aristocratic as he could. The Pureblood rhetoric has left him but his haughtiness both myself and his father taught him will almost always make an appearance at events.

"We are just here to help and support my aunt with her opening, have a good evening Ladies and Gentlemen." He held out his harm for his mother to take and we made our way in. Charlie and bill called us over to jump the queue and everyone was just stating at us in awe. We passed through what looked like a waterfall and came to the club, it was used to stop prying eyes to see what it looks like inside.

It was an extraordinary place, it was all diamond themed. Different colours in different zones and it was already so busy, I saw Alya standing next to Minerva and the Lupins. Andromeda had her hand in Kingsley and I just smirked at her and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Hello everyone...I thought Severus was coming." Alya smirked at her mother before jerking her thumb in her direction and laughed.

"She threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't come, I also said if I have to make the effort, put on heels a dress and make-up then the least he can do is come and buy me a drink." I always forget she is American until she opens her mouth. Severus is screwed, there was no way he is going to be able to resist her charms. She pulled Harry and Draco off to the dance floor leaving us to chat.

I noticed a few sets of eyes turn to the doorway and my jaw dropped, Severus Snape stood in a suit and more than one woman noticed him. As he made his way toward us a woman who must have been in her fifties stood in front of him. He got astronomically uncomfortable as she ran her hand down his arm and I heard a small giggle behind us.

Alya was smiling from ear to ear at Severus expression, Minerva just gave her a look and she rolled her eyes before walking over to them both, she put her hand around his waist and hugged him which soon shooed the bitches hand of his arm. When Severus finally caught on he placed his own hand on her waist and that made her step back a foot. The small kiss to the cheek which most definitely made Severus blush made her stomp away in anger like a child.

Severus then stepped away from Alya as if she burned him and nodded his head before holding his hand to shake Alyas as almost a thank you she just laughed and took his hand turned it over and pressed a kiss to his wrist. His eyes went wide and she winked before coming back over and looking right at her mother.

"Turns out he did need a saviour...he probably thinks I'm a freak. Thanks mom." She stomped over to the dance floor and stole Harry from Hermione, who looked relieved she didn't have to dance anymore.

"I don't really know what I just witnessed, does Severus Snape have his eyes on a girl." Andromeda's was shocked and looking between us all just as Severus arrived. He nodded to us all and took off his outer robes and to tell the truth he did look good. He must have noticed me still smirking at his interaction with the younger woman because he looked suspiciously at me and raised his eyebrows at me which made it even more funny.

"Is there a reason you are looking at me like that or are you having a stroke?" I just shook my head at him and leaned in closer to him before whispering in his ear.

"You are so smitten with that Girl Severus. You have very little experience with women so let me put it out there in case you haven't noticed. Alya likes you, she has been flirting with you and you have that whole Potions Prodigy thing." He glared at me as I said this and I noticed the vein on his forehead protrude slightly.

"Narcissa, we are not talking about this. She is Bella and Minervas daughter, not to mention she is seventeen." I just giggled harder at him, he was so fucked. I just walked away from him and over to the kids. It was their last until Christmas, my son and my girlfriend were going back to school. Even saying it felt weird, she is my girlfriend. She seems a bit distracted and knowing I couldn't go and hug her just made it all the worse. For now we would have a good night and deal with the consequences tomorrow.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

He couldn't even look at me, I made some stupid mistake and kissed him on the cheek trying to save his ass by the way and he was avoiding me like the plague. I am in such major trouble with him, everything about him draws me in and I can't help myself. He has been friends with my moms for years and I can tell the whole age thing freaks him out, or maybe he just doesn't like me in the same why I like him. I wouldn't blame him, what kind of grown man would want someone like me.

Seeing him standing there dressed in a suit was the hottest thing I had ever seen, he was scowling at Narcissa as I was dancing with Draco and Harry. A glass was handed to me and I decided to just have fun. It was clear nothing was going to happen between us and I just need to get him out of my mind.We spent all night celebrating and before long I could see Harry and Draco leave together, they really were a cute couple. Hermione and Narcissa also went home together. Bella and Min came over to me with a very drunk Sirius.

"I am going to take Sirius home. Do you want to stay here with Bella while everything closes or are you sober enough to apparate home?" I nodded my head at her and let her know I can get home myself until a soft pressure came to rest on my back. His honey voice invaded my brain and I felt like I couldn't breathe. My back was on fire from where his hand rested.

"No need to worry Minerva, I will make sure she gets home safe." I swallowed thickly as they both looked at me for permission to leave. I kissed both of their cheeks and let them go their separate ways before turning to face the man who has been haunting my dreams from the moment I met him.

"You don't have to stay, I am a big girl. I can make it home myself." He pinched the bridge of his nose and held out his arm for me to take.

"How about a walk?" My curiosity and selfishness got the better of me, I wanted to spend time with him and he was presenting me with the opportunity. How could I say no? I tucked my arm in his before leaving the club to walk the streets of muggle London. We were quiet for a good few minutes, his paces were slow and he was probably compensating for my wearing heels. Even in heels he was a good foot taller than me and feeling his body pressed to my side was almost too much for me.

"It's amazing Bella was able to get the club up and running so fast. It will be good for the worlds to have somewhere to intersect." He nodded his head at me but refused to look at me. It looked like he was having an internal struggle with himself and I couldn't take it anymore.

"Ok what's your damage?" He was confused and I just stopped dead and pulled him to a stop. He wasn't happy but he still looked conflicted.

"I'm sorry I kissed you, ok. It was just a kiss on the cheek move on man. Do I like you? Yes. Do I expect you to like me back? No. That's ok, I have resigned myself to that fact ever since we brewed the potion to wake Remus. I get that for years you couldn't be seen to show emotion but Severus the war is over. I am not a groupie so don't treat me like some vapid Sorority girl trying to get your attention. You're being an asshole, I don't appreciate it and if you were American this would be so much easier to navigate." My rant was over and the gears were turning, as he looked down at me I could see him expression falter as he shook his head.

"I am not an open man, not even really a kind man. I do not have much experience with women, I have only ever loved one woman in my life. My position in the war didn't leave much room for romance. At any given day I would have to be alone so what was the point of getting close to someone." I nodded my head and was glad he was opening up to me. He took one step closer to me and it was if I had forgotten how to breathe.

"You are the most infuriating, intelligent, amusing and interesting woman I have ever met and it's terrifying." I smiled at him as he was saying these things. He pulled me closer with his arms held onto my hip and I literally felt like I was going to pass out. The butterflies in my stomach was too much it was practically a stampede at this point.

"I don't know if I can promise you anything, maybe it's selfish of me to even suggest such a thing but would you like to go to dinner with me?" I nodded my head and smiled at him which made him smile and it was the first time I had seen a genuine smile on his face.

"I would love to Severus." He nodded his head and went to walk away before I stopped him, I was feeling bold and using my hand I pulled him down for a mind blowing kiss. As his soft lips pressed into mine I could feel the butterflies in my stomach were now like elephants and I couldn't help but smile into it. He was tentative at first but damn could the man kiss. As I broke away from him as let out a breath I wasn't even aware I was holding onto.

"Anytime, anyplace. I'm there." He let a small smile erupt on his face and we continued on toward my apartment, he insisted on walking me home, I was tempted to invite him in for a nightcap but that could wait. I didn't want to scare him off after just pulling a date out of him.

"Saturday...six thirty?" I nodded and he surprisingly leant down to press his lips to mine again before he went to leave.

"Goodnight Alya." I smiled and reluctantly let go of his hand.

"Goodnight Severus." He walked away down the corridor and I walked into my apartment. I have a date with Severus Snape. I kissed Severus Snape. All of these thoughts were only beginning to sink in as I took of the death traps I call heels and slipped on my pyjamas. Holy Shit. Such a turn of events in my night. I have a date with Severus Snape.

As the sun filtered in through the curtains I was awakened, today was the day I was leaving to go to Hogwarts, as I turned my head I found Narcissa sound asleep beside me. I hated the fact that we were going to be separated, she had become a constant in my life and I am really going to miss her. I just sat and watched her sleep for a while before I really had to go to the bathroom.

Once I cleaned my teeth, washed my face and brushed my hair I walked back into the room and Narcissa was stirring. As she opened her eyes I melted into them, she smiled at me and I couldn't help but be proud of everything she had overcame.

"Good Morning." She smiled and turned onto her side to look directly at me, she held onto my hips as I climbed on top of her and kissed her square on the lips. As I pulled back I could see the sadness in her face. Deciding to stay in our bubble for a little while longer I tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and smiled.

I pulled off my tank top and then hers before we spent our last couple of hours worshipping each other. Once we had showered and changed I sat on the edge of the bed watching Narcissa put on her boots and shook my head. I knew the next few months would be difficult but now that it was actually here my heart was breaking. A stray tear fell down my face just as she turned around and she looked worried.

"No, don't you dare. If you start crying then I will start crying, listen we already have permission from Minerva for you to come home every weekend. You can't get rid of me that easily my darling. Christmas is not too far away." I nodded my head and took her hands before she pulled me up to my feet.

"I have seen you almost everyday since that day in Malfoy Manor, it's going to be difficult being away from you." She nodded in understanding before kissing me and I heard her in my head. 'I love you Hermione Granger...you are my gravity, my love and as much as I am going to miss you. There is no way you can pass up an opportunity to go back. Every weekend come home, be with me then." I nodded and kissed her trying to put as much need and want and love into it as I could.

"Home?" I smirked as she nodded before telling me, she wanted to get a place for just us when I graduate but for now she wanted to spent time with her newly reunited family. I stood and picked up my small beaded bag which had all my worldly possessions in it and we made our way downstairs. Harry, Ron and Draco were waiting at the bottom with a similar expression on their face, Ron came to say goodbye to his friends. It seems strange we had spent so much time together and had really bonded as a group and now we were going to be separated.

"Ok, no tears. All of you be careful, look after one another and Ronald and I will be here when you all come home." Ron slung his arm around Narcissas shoulder and smiled at us.

"Don't worry, I will look after her." We all laughed and nodded before getting ready to leave. Minerva was meeting us at the school and Sirius was hungover and slightly dying in the hallway. After getting his arse up and out the door we Apparated directly onto the platform. It was ten thirty, children were boarding the train and as soon as we all got closer to the crowd a hush fell over them.

They were looking at us all in awe and shock before surprisingly Blaise Zabini, Ginny, Luna, Pansy Parkinson, Daphne, Tracey Davis and Neville came over to us all. Pansy had apologised to Harry and was currently looking Ron up and down which was strange but we didn't think anything of it. We all spent some time getting better acquainted before it was time to get on the train.

"Ok everyone, be careful and look out for each other." We all nodded and one by one they all trickled away after saying goodbye to Ron and Narcissa. I was left standing with Narcissa. Sirius walked over to see Amelia who was dropping Susan off, considering how drunk he got last night I was assuming it was to apologise to her for being an arse.

"Ok...have fun. Talk to me later on this evening." I promised I would and just held onto her face and pulled her down for a kiss. Every emotion I could think of was poured into the kiss and as we broke apart I just held onto her.

"I am going to miss you." She nodded her head and we exchanged one final kiss and I ran onto the train before I changed my mind and stayed at home this year. As I took a seat in a compartment with everyone I couldn't help but keep her eyes on mine. Harry and Draco held onto me as the train pulled away from the station. I was on my way back to Hogwarts and it was a good thing but damn I was going to miss her.

It was the night of my date with Severus and I had never had any problems before dressing for a date. Tonight however it seems to be the opposite, I had my entire closet sitting in front of me and didn't have a clue what to wear. A soft knock on my front door and it was Bella and Narcissa. The latter was losing her mind without Hermione and it had only been a week.

"Hey aren't you meeting Hermione tonight? What are you doing here?" I nodded and she gave me a hug. It felt weird having a family, as dysfunctional and slightly insane as they all were. Being on my own since my parents died sort of warped my mind slightly.

"Not till later, she wanted to pick something up at Gringotts. You need me more right now. What are you wearing on your date." I just threw my head up and collapsed onto my bed in defeat.

"I don't know, I have been staring at my clothes for an hour. This doesn't happen to me, I usually don't go all gooey about a guy and I am acting like a idiot. PLEASE HELP." Both of them smiled at me before Bella pulled me to my feet and brushed my hair out of my eyes and smiled.

"Well lucky for you I know where he is taking you to. Sit down we will help, Cissy you wear all of that goop on your face do her make up. I will pick you something to wear." I sighed in relief and sat on the chair in front of them both whilst Narcissa started drying and styling my hair. It sat in long, loose ringlets down my back till my tailbone and then a smoky eyed make up look.

"Oh wow. You should become a make up artist." Then I was handed a pair of black skinny jeans, white top with blue quills all over it and dark green boots. I had to admit I looked good.

"Thank you both." They shook their heads as my door rang instantly got nervous. They bid farewell with Narcissa going to be with Hermione and Bella heading to Hogwarts to visit Min.

As I landed outside the wards of the castle I could help but feel excited for Alya, I knew she liked him but I never would have thought my straight laced friend would reciprocate those feelings. Alya had a genius quality about her and I think he respected that about her. He respects Hermione but he has seen the young Gryffindor grow up and become who she is now, Alya on the other hand is different, she is an old soul, properly old. That is what he is drawn too, I would have thought it would bother me but surprisingly it doesn't.

As I walked through the castle I saw a few strays who had a good gawk at me before heading through corridors toward Minervas office. She had given me the password into her own private FLOO, I preferred coming in the other way. It reminded me of being a student and arriving back to school. I enjoyed walking through the castle and relishing in the comfort it provided me.

As I knocked on the door it almost instantly swung open to reveal Min sitting at her desk with her outer teaching robes off, she had a Whiskey in front of her and a few papers with a frown. She didn't even look up when I walked in, she just continued to look at the pages and it wasn't until I sat down in front of her she snapped out of it.

"You know, you're going to get a permanent scowl on that gorgeous face and we can't have that can we?" She smirked at me before waving her hand and glasses appear. Sometimes I envied her use of wandless magic.

"Show off." She smiled and poured me a glass before looking back up at me, this reminded me of how it used to be for us. Easy conversation, a drink in hand and everything else in between.

"Well I am the headmistress now. One has to have so much more perks than everyone else." The secrets of the castle was extraordinary there was more secret passageways than anything else, the moving staircase had a pattern every hour and their is a secret faculty library that no one knows about. The head of the school also got a certain power boost, she could always do wandless magic but too much of it drains someone's core. The castle didn't allow for that to happen to the head of the school.

"Did she get away ok?" Knowing she was asking about Alya I nodded my head. I still feel guilty about not telling her back then. I couldn't he,p but think how things would have been different if I did.

"Yeah she was nervous but she looked gorgeous, here I snapped a photo." Hermione had given me something called a Polaroid camera and as I pulled out the photo and handed it to Minerva I couldn't help but answer my question. This is probably what it would have been like, her first day at school, first accidental magic, first boyfriend all of that. We would have been sitting right here and talking about it.

"So, what is your plans?" She picked up her glass of Whiskey and mountain of paperwork before smiling and downing her glass. I always did like the way she could do that, the only other person I know who can do that without grimacing was Narcissa.

"Anything I can help with?" She shook her head at me and explained that the board of governors had decided to send a representative around from the Ministry to try and update the curriculum.

"I am all for it but my god the amount of paperwork that is involved is astronomical. I wish we could have computers because e-mails and word document would be so much easier." At my confused look she just shook her head and told me not too worry about it before laying her head onto the hands. As I stood up she jerked her head up slightly as I walked around behind her and began to rub her shoulders...she instantly relaxed.

"Look...all of this will still be here in the morning, how about I run you a bath, make you a hot tottie and you have a night of relaxation?" I don't know how must I know she was smiling and her long dainty hand reached up and took my hand in hers.

"Thank You..." She pulled me around to the front and I perched my ass on her desk. The look in her eyes was one I hadn't seen in years, she still felt for me the same way she always had, the look in her eyes tell me that. Slowly but before I could even acknowledge what was happening she stood and kissed me on the lips.

As if they had a life of their own my left hand grabbed her waist and the other held onto the side of her neck. We spent a good two minutes kissing before we broke apart and a small smile erupted onto her face. She took my hand in her own and guided me up the stairs behind her desk towards her quarters. Whatever was going to happen between us, maybe it was a second chance with us, either way it was good.

When they left I squared my shoulders and lifted my bag before heading to the door. As I swung it open I nearly dropped. Severus was wearing blue jeans, black shirt and a pair of dress muggle shoes. He looked amazing, I couldn't help but roam my eyes up his body, once I got to his face he was smirking slightly.

"You look beautiful Alya." I smiled at him and nodded my head, he shocked me by leaning down and kissing me on the lips. I smiled as he broke away from me before heading downstairs. Imagine my surprise when there was a BMW sitting downstairs without a driver. I was even more shocked when he pulled the keys out of his pocket and jumped into the drivers seat.

"You're driving? You know how to drive." He held my door open for me to get in, ever the perfect gentleman. He proceeded to jump into the driver seat and took off across London.

"I am a man of many talents, my father was a muggle you know, sorry I know you don't like the word but for me the No-maj, it's too strange for me." I just scowled at him which it seems he found incredibly amusing. The word sounded so derogatory to me, No-Maj sounded nicer.

"Anyway, that side of me I have always wanted to explore, of course Lily was my best friend and I got close to her father rest his soul. When I turned fifteen I spent a lot of the summer with The Evans, he taught me how to drive." I nodded my head to him and quickly leant over to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you for telling me that story. You're a man shrouded in mystery. Speaking of, where exactly are you taking me? Bella wouldn't even tell me and it has made me suspicious." He just smirked slightly but didn't tell me or even drop a hint which was frustrating. It took us a good hour to get to where we were going. When he took us out of the city I got suspicious but again he stayed fast and still didn't tell me.

"Is this where you lure me into the woods to kill me?" He just rolled his eyes and pulled into a small car park and turned off the engine. We arrived at a building in the middle of nowhere, it looked like an old house that would have belonged to an old lady and was haunted. It was called the Plantation Inn. As we made our way in through the ivy covered walls and brown oak door were greeted by an older woman who immediately beamed at Severus and held a hand to her mouth.

"Ahh Severus darling...JASON! It's Severus." The woman was maybe in her late sixties and a gentleman that appeared was even older than that came rushing towards him and was almost crying. Severus just wrapped his arms around the woman in question who gave him a hug that rivalled that of Molly Weasley.

"Haven't seen you around in a bit son, was surprised to hear from you. When you ask me to get The Tiger Lily fixed up I never expected such a pretty girl would be here on your arm either." We were ushered into the empty restaurant and toward a door with the best view. The property overlooked the lake which I didn't see when we parked. There was a Getty with a boat sitting all lit up in Fairy Lights.

"Thank You...Alya, this is Jason and Zelda Steward, guys this is Alya." I held my hand out to introduce myself before they both just pulled me in for a hug and Zelda whispered into my ear.

"You look after him you hear. He is important to us." I just smiled and nodded before taking Severus arm again and I couldn't help but look up and smile at the man in question. Big, bad death eater is kind to elderly people.

"Everything is all set up in a stasis for you both." I was shocked because I thought they were both a No-Maj. Severus nodded and thanked them both before ushering me over toward the door and the lit up boat.

"It was nice to meet you both." They game me one final hug before we made outside and he actually looked embarrassed, I love it it's so cute.

"Oh there is most definitely a story there." He curtly nodded and it was almost like he was trying to drag his kindness back in again. I knew it was a reflex from all of his years being a spy.

"Oh no no, that closed off I am a big bad death eater doesn't work with me after I just seen you acting like the fucking Easter bunny with those two." He just kept walking and didn't elaborate any further. As we got to this beautiful sailboat and food was set up waiting for us.

"I asked Bella and Minerva what you like." I nodded and noticed there was my favourite Pasta dish waiting for me. He took my hand and helped me up on the boat. Within seconds we were floating around a lake and enjoying food. We spent hours talking and getting to know one another, it's beautiful out here.

"Why the Tiger Lily. I can't figure it out." He took a sip of what appeared to be Brandy before looking at his shoes. He was embarrassed, I felt so bad about making him feel that way. He seemed to be ok telling me it but he does seem slightly ashamed.

"You know Lily was very special to me and when I was having a hard time as a child Lily gave the book Peter Pan, I loved that book, I used to dream of running away to Neverland, flying around and just being free. That's why, it's an important part of my history and. I like to keep it close. I don't let people in very often but the ones that I do, are there for life." I didn't know what to say to him and he seemed to u detests day that because he changed the subject.

"So what is there I don't know about you, I know your stubborn, you ramble, you also have a beautiful singing voice and can cut like a knife with your words." I nodded my head and told him that about sums me up.

"Come on seriously." I nodded my head at him and took a sip of my wine and smiled slightly. There is a part of me that is a bit different that everyone here and I doubt that even his stuffy Britishness can deal with what I am about to say.

"I love to draw, landscapes, portraits, anything. I hate cooking, it's just not in me as much as mom tried to drill it into me. I got into a bit of trouble as a kid, I lost my parents started drinking, drugs, the marijuana has stuck but that's about it. I pulled myself out of it and buckled down to finish school." He looked contemplating at me before leaning over and kissing me.

"You are amazing...what you have overcome is extraordinary. You smoke marijuana." I nodded my head and laughed slightly at him shocked reaction.

"That what you got out of that conversation?" He nodded and a small smile tugged at his lips and he pulled me onto his knee and we just sat making out for a long time. That was as far as we were going to go or at least I think it was. I decided to change the conversation and broke away to take another sip of wine.

"So moment of truth how do you know those two? Jason and Zelda? They know you and I mean really know you." He let out a sigh and I took a sip of my elderflower waterbefore taking a sobering potion that I kept in my bag. I took his hand in mine, drawing comfort in his drawing small circles on my hand.

"Well, my father as you know was not a kind man, he used to come here drinking. Jason and Zelda let me stay here more nights than I can count, they became surrogate parents and helped guide me. When the war happened they were the ones who I apparated to after being Crucioed." I nodded at him in understanding, he had been through so much and it made me very pissed off at everyone that had ever hurt him. He proceeded to tell me all about them and some funny stories of him growing up.

"I had a really nice time tonight Severus." He smiled and me and nodded before we cleaned up and started to leave. He took my hand and we walked back to the car, we bypassed the restaurant this time as it was closed and in darkness. We could have done this on the way in but it seems he wanted me to meet Jason and Zelda.

As we slowly made our way back to the city in comfortable silence, he took my hand in his and all in all it was a good night. Pulling up to my apartment he opened the door for me and helped me out. My heart was pounding in my chest, I wanted nothing more that to invite him in but was it too soon...probably but nothing could change the fact that I wanted to. The closer and closer we got to my front door the more nervous I felt, he must have picked up on it because he gave my hand a small squeeze as we got to my door.

"Alya calm down, nothing is going to happen tonight?" I nodded before I could register properly but then the other neurotic side of me thought he didn't want to and maybe would never want to.

"Listen to me, someday soon we will take that step in our relationship but not yet. It takes a lot for me to open up to people but with you it is easier. I do care about you and I do find you extremely attractive. You are a very beautiful woman Alya. Just give us time to build up to it." I nodded and let out a sigh as he pressed his lips to mine, we spent a good few minutes kissing before my door flew open and if Severus hadn't been holding onto me I would have fell through it. Minerva was waiting on the other side of it.

"Wow sorry but need you now, Severus please her call later." He reluctantly nodded and then took in Minervas face and gave me another small kiss to the cheek and let go of my waist.

"Minerva, see you soon." He walked away and gave me one final glance back before I turned to glare at my mother. It was first date with him, she knew that. She held a glass of Whiskey up for me to take and I gladly did before rolling my eyes and taking her arm to walk further into my apartment.

"Ok not that I don't love seeing you Minerva but what the hell are you doing here?" She downed a glass before pouring another and turned to look back to me.

"I am aware that out of the two of us you have grown closer to Bella and that's ok, she gave birth to you and you are closer in age and that's fine but bar Severus who would just sneer, Poppy who would get all embarrassing and want details I didn't know who to come to with this. I shouldn't have came here. It is highly inappropriate." I was confused and I realised that my mother did not have any girlfriends she could talk to. I knew my relationships with both of my mothers were anything but traditional and it was good. I had a mother who was motherly and it didn't feel right replacing her.

"What is going on? Why are you all frazzled and weird and dressed funny?" It was then I realised she was wearing a pair of what looking like Pyjamas, tartan bottoms with a black long sleeved top and her outer robes were slung over the back of my couch.

"Something happened and I am what you would call freaking out slightly..." Having enough of her rambling which is clear to me now I inherited it from her I rolled my eyes at the usually buttoned down woman.

"Look for the record, I haven't grown closer to Bella, our relationship is just different, there is not a darkness but a more wicked side that I inherited from her, my drinking for starters and the weed which you don't know about till now. I like feeling light with you but I like that I have things in common with her too. You are both my parents...I had an amazing mom, she baked cookies for bake sales and was part of the PTA and was so incredibly supportive when I found out I had magic." I could see she was taking it all in, every instinct must have been screaming at her to talk but out of respect she didn't.

"So even though you and Bella are both my moms your also my friend. So as your friend will you spit out what has you bombarding my apartment at one thirty in the morning?" She downed another glass before sitting down on the couch and looking up at me.

"We slept together." My eyebrows shot up, I really hoped she was talking about Bella because if not it was going to get messy.

"You slept together? You and Bella?" She nodded her head and flushed with embarrassment.

"Ok, haven't you already been sleeping together?" Her head snapped up and the pure offended look that overcame her was enough.

"NO!" I held my hands up to apologise before she looked up at me again and I just laughed.

"Why is this a bad thing? You love her, she adores you. What's the issue?" She just shook her head and it was as if a revelation overcame her.

"I just started overthinking everything slightly and got scared." I nodded and wandlessly poured her a drink. Her eyebrows shot up at that and smiled.

"Look, this is a good thing, where is Bella now?" I could tell she was wrapping her head around it all now and I couldn't help but smile at her.

"I left her sleeping." I nodded my head and handed with a flick of my wrist a box flew out of my fridge and landed on her lap.

"If she is awake when you get back, tell her you got hungry." She nodded and stood before kissing me on the cheek and took in my features.

"You look beautiful, how was the date?" I nodded my head and hugged her fiercely before telling her it was amazing and rushing her to the FLOO.

"I will come to Hogwarts tomorrow, tell you all about it." She nodded and disappeared leaving me to smile at her acting like a teenager and finally get out of these boots. As I dressed for bed and walked out of the bathroom a small bunch of Daisies were sitting waiting for me in a vase on my bedside cabinet.

'Alya, I had an extraordinary time tonight, would you do me the honour of accompanying me to dinner next weekend? Severus' I couldn't help the cheesy grin that erupted all over my face. I had a boyfriend and he was Severus Snape. Wow.


End file.
